Spirit Master
by EternalVoid
Summary: Naruto is a master brewer, lets see how this turns out.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

The early morning light was bright as he moved around the shop. The many bottles behind him shined with various shades and colours as the light struck them, creating a varied spectrum of colours that boggled the mind and made many people wonder about how he ever managed to know what each and every one of them contained.

He held up a glass, within the glass lay something strapped, sweating light. The liquid it contained swilled around lethargically in the faint sunlight under his gaze, the glinting surface throwing highlights onto his face like veins of quick gold.

He drained the glass the studied it as the alcohol made its way down his throat, making it tingle, then the after taste kicked in, spreading warmth throughout his body as the spicy aftertaste lingered in his mouth as he turned the glass over in his hands, examining the roughness of the ground areas and the slickness of the unetched parts. He held it up to the sunlight and smiled to himself while setting it back down on the bar.

He ran his hand along the smooth mahogany wood of his new bar, polished to a smooth finish it also shined in the orange light of the early morning. He looked up to see the windows, still with shutters closed, blocking out the rest of the light from coming into his store, he breathed in the calming smell of the forest and the chill of the morning air.

The forest that surrounded Konoha was always quiet at this time of the morning. It was like some strange transition, with the nocturnal animals returning to their various dens and nests to sleep the day away, while the rest of the forest still lay half asleep in their own beds. The town always seemed quietist at this time of the morning and he loved it, the silence gave him a measure of calm and tranquillity.

He was brought from his musings when his door opened and someone stepped in

"Good morning Naruto-san" the girl said as she smiled and walked over to him

"Ah Tenten-san, good morning" he responded.

Tenten was the adopted daughter of the man who owned the shop next to him. Naruto would willingly admit that having his store next to a weapons store and a food store next by was probably a bit strange, but honestly it had been cheap and he had needed a place to set up shop before the summer really hit and people began to really move about again. She had her hair up in two distinctive buns that made her easy to spot from quite a distance. She was dressed in her usual clothes of a pink sleeveless blouse and dark green pants that clung slightly to her slender legs.

"Is it ready then?" she asked with a smile and he sighed, leaning back on the counter

"Just about" he told her and she nodded

"You open now then?" she asked, her eyes sparkling and he laughed

"Not quite yet Tenten-san, you know it'll be open tonight. So come back then and I'll give you something good" he told her and she grinned up at him

"Promise?" she said and he smiled again

"Of course I promise. Just don't expect this all the time" he warned her and she nodded

"Still I'm surprised you managed it all so quickly" she said as she looked around the store, it felt warm with the orange light bathing it all.

"So am I, however I'm also surprised that you're so eager to become an alcoholic" he said with a soft smile and she wacked him lightly

"It's not that" she huffed "is just that…" she trailed off and Naruto put a comforting hand on her shoulder

"I know Tenten-chan" he said softly "you don't need to explain it to me" he told her and she smiled gratefully up at him before he turned away and finished looking over the rest of his store, nodding in satisfaction

"You okay?" she asked him and he nodded once again

"I'll be even better once business gets underway, but I'll see how that goes tonight" he said and she tilted her head

"You've been handing out samples and the like haven't you?" she asked and Naruto nodded

"Though I had other people do it, they know it's by me but I didn't give it to them, don't want to scare them off after all" he said with a small smile and she hugged him before walking off, shouting her farewell over her shoulder as she exited the store, obviously going to help her father with setting up his own store before the early morning rush occurred and ninja's from every corner of the town arrived on the scene to prepare for whatever new mission they had been given by the authority that was the Hokage.

Chapter One 

The late afternoon light one again bathed his store as he put the last of the polished glasses into the cabinet behind him with a small clink of glass upon glass. He sighed to himself as he looked around the store with a critical eye, making sure it all looked neat and tidy, especially after that brawl last night. There were two men who were highly unlikely to ever see the inside of his shop ever again, even if they begged on hands and knees.

He leaned back on his counter and sighed to himself, closing his eyes and leaning his head back onto to be brought out of it by the sound of his door opening. He looked to see Tenten walking over to his bar looking rather put out. He sighed to himself and walked behind the bar to pick up a glass and a bottle without even looking at what it was, popping the cork off and pouring some of the liquid into the polished glass, it was a faint honey colour and smelt of flowers on a spring morning.

"Team again?" he asked her while putting the drink in front of her. He knew that she did not often drink, but when she looked like that he usually gave her something light just to loosen her up a bit

"Yea" she nodded with a sullen look, gently picking up the glass, a small smile lit up her face as she sniffed the liquid inside of it

"Spring?" she asked and Naruto nodded

"Yep, made some this morning considering how good the weathers been thus far" he explained while putting the re-corked bottle in its place among the many bottles

"You still haven't named it yet then?" she asked and he shook his head.

It was a bad habit of his, to never name any of what he made. Not that it really mattered to him, he had quite the memory when it came to what bottle continued what and what it did, he did spend almost all his free time making them after all.

"You should think about expanding" she said to him in a soft tone, probably knowing what his response would already be

"You know I won't risk it, besides, the shops also part of the experience I want to provide. If I expand I'll lose that appeal and then it won't ever come back" he told her quite serious while leaning his arms on the counter, watching as Tenten sipped at her drink and sighed with eyes closed

"Good?" he asked and she nodded

"As always" she replied and Naruto simply nodded in return

"Well then, unless you want to be given a headache I suggest you leave before I open the place up" he said to her while patting her should gently and she sighed

"I suppose..."

"You can always come back after I've close up shop, you know I won't mind" Naruto told her while flipping the sign on his door and pulling both shutters up

"I know, but I think I need some sleep tonight" she said while stretching and he smiled at her

"That so?" he said lightly and she huffed

"Just because I'm a ninja doesn't mean I don't get tired" she said with a pout and he laughed

"I know that Ten-chan, I'm just saying that if it gets too much you can come here" he told her and she nodded

"Thanks Naruto-kun" she replied and he nodded as the first customers began to walk into the shop

"See you late then" he said, leaning forwards to lightly kiss her cheek

"Later" she replied with a smile, leaving her glass on the bar as she walked off, disappearing into the crowd of people that were walking into his store, chatting quietly to one another.  
>He picked up her glass and lightly tossed it into a wash basin under his bar, being careful not to break it as he turned to see who his first customers were.<p>

Tonight was a 'ninja only' night, one of two that occurred throughout the week. Though his shop needed to pull a profit the same as anyone else he knew that there were very few obvious places that allowed for just ninjas to sit and drink without at least one civilian around them. He suspected it was because they got nervous having such powerful and dangerous person in their stores without a witness to back them up if something happened, and that certainly did not help ninjas relax if his experiences were anything to go by.

"Good evening" he said politely with a soft smile, his eyes quickly darting across them all as they moved past and sat down at their usual table. They were the jonin's of this town, or the well known ones at least. He knew that the graduating classes would be out tomorrow and as such they were all probably here to have that last taste of freedom before they became shackled to the runts, as they so often referred to the kids. Though it was more the men than the two women at the table, not that Anko was taking any student mind you. He nearly shuddered at that thought.

"Good evening" one of them said as they walked up to the bar. It was Anko and Kurenai, the only two he could really stand, Asuma and Kakashi had nearly been kicked out last week, only Kurenai had prevented him from doing it, but they were walking a fine line/

"Good evening ladies" he said with a charming smile "the same?" he asked as he opened the cabinet under his bar while Kurenai nodded

"How ya been Naru-kun?" Anko greeted him with a teasing smile and Naruto smiled back

"Hello Anko-chan" he said "I've got some of that stuff you like, Hearty Punch or Ale?" he asked and she grinned at him while looking thoughtful as he handed over the sake bottles to Kurenai  
>"Have a good evening" he said with a smile and Kurenai smiled warmly back before moving back over the group, Naruto did not miss the glare Asuma sent him as Kurenai sat back down next to him, Naruto just shot him a glare back, warning him. He turned away as usual.<p>

"Still don't like them huh?" Anko asked him as she sat down in front of him and he sighed

"You know I don't" he told her "and what will it be?" he asked in his patient tone and she blinked

"Hearty Punch" she said and he smiled

"I thought you'd say that" he said while pulling out a glass that felt warm to the touch and was filled with a deep red liquid that smelt very aromatic of fruits with a hint of bitterness to it.

"Holiday stuff?" she asked with a grin as she sniffed it and grinned. It was not often, she had once told him, that she every found something, be it a drink, person or food, that she would or could take the time to enjoy, so he was glad that she enjoyed it so much.

We all need something to enjoy, he thought to himself as she took a gulp of it, gasping with wide eyes as she swallowed

"So strong" she nearly gasped and Naruto laughed lightly

"I did warn you last time" he said and she chuckled

"I never listen" she said and he sighed dramatically

"Oh how well I know that" he said and she laughed in reply

"Why do you let them in here if you don't like 'em?" Anko asked Naruto who blinked before shrugging

"Because they're paying customers, and Kurenai pleaded their cases" he told her as he pulled out several glasses and set them down in front of him

"Really? I'd just get rid of them" Anko said bluntly and Naruto chuckled at her annoyed expression

"Don't worry about it Anko-chan, you know you can stay here a while" he told her and she sighed while sipping on her drink. Naruto turned away to wave at a man, looking tired and grizzled, who had just walked in and retreated to one of the darker corners of his shop even though the lights were on.

The shop was designed in such a way that one side was brightly lit and warm while the other, while still warm, was darker and so gave those over there a bit more privacy.

"What happened?" he asked Anko while pulling out a bottle of his Bull Brandy, a viscous liquid that was rather strong and tasted slightly bitter with an aftertaste of something nutty, motioning to the man with a raised eyebrow the man nodded and made to get up but Naruto shook his head and walked over, handing it to him along with a glass

"Thanks" the man said with a rough voice and Naruto shook his head, the man handed him the money, Naruto split it and gave half back. The man looked at him strangely

"I know" Naruto said and the man's eyes widened before he smiled slightly and nodded

"Thank you Uzumaki-san" he said, bowing his head slightly and Naruto shook his head

"Take your time" he said and walked back to the bar to Anko who was looking at him strangely

"Anbu" he said and Anko blinked before looking over at the man again who seemed to be staring at the bottom of his glass as though the answers to all the world's problems lay at the bottom of that glass.

"Bad mission?"

"Something like that"

"How'd you know?"

"I listen, and after seeing him a few times I knew he wasn't having the easiest time with it" he explained and Anko nodded in understanding while taking the final bit of her drink and holding out her hand for more, a pouting expression on her face making Naruto laugh slightly while taking her glass and refilling it

"You only get one" he reminded her and she huffed while handing him the money "thank you Anko-chan" he said with that soft smile and she looked away while sipping her drink, ignoring the table where her 'comrades' were gathered.

"I'm annoyed" she suddenly said

"I gathered that" Naruto responded, her tense posture had given her away.

"I' m still not allowed" she told him and he sighed while pulling up his own stool and sitting in front of her. The night was young so it would not get bust for a little while yet.

"Did you speak to him about it?" Naruto asked with a concerned expression on his face

"Yeah" she muttered and Naruto rubbed his face before sighing

"Are you sure it's what you want?" he asked and Anko paused before nodding

"I think it'll help" she explained and Naruto nodded to himself

"I see, if that's what you think then that's fine" he told her before sighing himself "don't rush it, you know how the council feel about people like you and me" he told her and she nodded, looking a bit upset. Naruto sighed and refilled her glass once again

"What should I do?" she muttered and Naruto hummed to himself in thought while keeping an eye on the door as it shifted and swung open and three men walked in, laughing to one another, the middle one appearing to be the youngest of them all, as they walked up to the bar

"Doomshine please" one of the men said and Naruto sighed while shaking his head and handing over a bottle while taking the money

"Do it outside please" he said, remembering the last time someone had been made to drink that almost a month ago now.

The three men walked back outside, not three minutes later retching could be heard along with a shout of 'disgusting' that made Naruto smile and chuckle to himself.

"That the stuff?" Anko asked him and he nodded

"Yep, something so rancid and sickness-inducing that the Anbu use it as a rite of passage" he said and Anko nodded before sighing again

"Don't worry about it, you have more respect than most people in Anbu at least" he told her while sitting back down

"But I want more" she told him seriously and he sighed before pinching her cheek, making her scrunch up her face and glare lightly at him

"We all want more, just take your time Anko-chan, there's no rush yet" he told her while removing his hand as she pouted and rubbed her cheek while glaring at him

"Don't do that again" she said with a threatening tone and he raised an eyebrow at her while taking hold of her glass "no" she shouted while grabbing onto it "I'll be good" she muttered, eyes pleading with him while she looked like a kicked puppy and Naruto snorted in amusement while letting go of her glass

"Yay" she said gleefully as she took another gulp of the strong liquid.

Naruto watched her for a few moments before looking up as Asuma and Kakashi approached the bar. He fought back the instinct to glare as they approached

"Sake" Asuma said as he and Kakashi reached the bar. Naruto saw Anko roll her eyes and turn away from them and Naruto had to agree with her sentiments

"Money" Naruto responded with an air of coolness about him that he specially reserved for customers like this. Both Kakashi and Asuma looked at him before putting the money on the counter. Naruto snatched it up and counted it before grunting and pulling out several bottles and putting them on the counter.

"Geez" Asuma muttered as he turned away and Naruto frowned at him  
>"Excuse me" he said, causing Asuma to turn around<p>

"What?" he asked quite rudely and Naruto's frown deepened

"What exactly is your problem?" Naruto asked with a level tone and Asuma turned to him

"My problem? My problem is that you don't seem to respect any of us here, despite what we do..."

"Save the crap" Naruto interrupted him "I don't care that you're the Hokage's son, or that you were in the twelve ninja whatever, or your friend over there can copy things without working for it" he said coldly, causing the whole room to freeze and watch him and Azuma

"Wha...?" was as far as Asuma got before Naruto interrupted him again

"You earn respect douche bag, and I have no respect for those who demand it" Naruto told him levelly

"We keep you safe" Asuma said slowly, as though mocking Naruto, he took no notice

"So does every other ninja here. You think your special or something?" Naruto asked as though talking to a child

"Don't mock me" Asuma growled while glaring at Naruto intensely

"Get out" Naruto said as he felt the last vestiges of his patience snap

"What?" Asuma asked as though he did not quite understand

"Get out of my shop. I will not have someone like you in here" Naruto said calmly

"You can't just..."

"I can" Naruto interrupted him again "and if you resist I am well within my rights to throw you out of here with force. You have been nothing but disrespectful since you first came in here, Hatake-san as well, but Kurenai pleaded for you both so I let you stay" he told them bluntly "but it appears you don't learn. So, get the fuck out of my shop and don't even try setting foot in here again" Naruto said, voice low and eyes dark as he watched Asuma who was gritting his teeth in irritation.

Everyone held their breath and Naruto's hand edged to an object hidden under the bar just in case. Asuma snorted, spun around, and marched out of the shop without so much as a backward glance. The room seemed to relax again

"I apologise for that" Naruto said, bowing his head slightly "enjoy the rest of you evening" he said to everyone while sitting back down in front of Anko  
>"You were rather confident weren't you" Anko said as he did so and he looked at her<p>

"If he had started anything then it would reflect badly on him, since he's military" Naruto explained "and also..." he trailed off and pointed over to where the Anbu member was sitting, a kunai just about hidden under the palm of his hand. It was obvious that he had been quite ready to take Asuma out if he had tried anything.

"Good to have friend huh?" Anko asked sarcastically

"Nope, just people who owe you favours" he replied with a light smirk as they continued to talk.

Eventually the time came for Naruto to close up shop. The Anbu member had already left, and at least several dozen people and passed through the doors since he had opened them. Kurenai and Anko's group left quietly, though Anko stayed behind, still not quite finished with her bottle of alcohol as she waved Kurenai off.  
>"That was an interesting night" Naruto muttered as he shut the door, put the shutters down, and flipped the sign around<p>

"You could say that. I'm sure word will get around though" Anko said while smiling teasingly at Naruto who snorted

"I'm sure the civilians won't care; hell I'll probably get even more popular" he said and Anko agreed with him. After all, many ninjas were like Asuma and Kakashi, becoming rather arrogant once they felt they had proved their worth, never quite realising that people like Naruto existed, who did not care if you were gods son, until you proved yourself personally, then you were the same as everyone else in the world as far as he was concerned.

"Very true. Anyway I enjoyed the show" Anko said with a child-like grin and Naruto sighed while nudging the basin, wondering whether or not to bother washing it that night.

"It wasn't meant to be for spectators" he said as the door swung open. Anko turned around and opened her mouth, obviously to say something rather blunt and probably offensive

"...Oh it's just you" was all she said when she realised it was Tenten who folded her arms and huffed

"Well sorry about that" she said with a slight sneer and Naruto frowned when Anko went to say something back  
>"Stop it" he said and they both looked at him before Anko sighed<p>

"Sorry Naruto-kun" she said and Tenten nodded, muttering her own apology as she walked over and sat next to the purple haired jonin.

"You two need to chill out" he muttered while pouring Tenten her own drink

"You let her drink?" Anko said in mock surprise and Tenten glared at her while Naruto sighed and decided to get on with washing up, as sitting listening to the two of them bicker was not his idea of fun.

"You let her stay here? Isn't she usually drunk by this point?" Tenten's voice said, neither of them apparently realising that Naruto was no longer in front of them.

"At least I can actually hold my liquor" Anko said

"At least I'm sober half the time"

"At least I'm not a virgin"

"...That was low" Tenten growled, Naruto felt inclined to agree

"So what if I am? At least I'm not a..."

"Stop!" Naruto nearly shouted from where he was, interrupting Tenten who was about to say something that would of probably led to bloodshed.

"Sorry" the two girls muttered and Naruto sighed as he came back round the bar, drying his hands with a cloth that he stuck on the counter before sitting in front of the girl's again.

"So, who wants to tell me their sob story first?" he asked overdramatically and Anko smiled while rolled her eyes and Tenten giggled at him

"Not me" Anko said while standing up, swaying a bit "I need to get to bed" she muttered

"IT?" Naruto asked and she nodded with a grin that made Tenten shiver

"See ya Naruto-kun, Tenten-chan" she called out as she left through the front door

"I'll never understand you two" Naruto said as he refilled Tenten's cup. Tenten just blinked at him

"What?" she asked, sounding a bit confused

"About how you two can be going for each other's throats one moment and then acting like best friends the next" he said as he put the various bottles and washed glasses away.

"That's just how we are" Tenten said, Naruto got the impression that she was shrugging.

"Yeah well, I'm just glad you two don't go at it when customers are here" he said and Tenten looked at him

"Aren't we customers as well?" Tenten asked with a curious expression

"Cute. Anyway, yeah you are, but neither of you seem to pay me very often" Naruto said, ignoring Tenten's blush at his compliment

"You know I would if I could" she huffed and he nodded sarcastically

"Sure" he said and she pouted, looking annoyed

"Whatever, I've gotta go as well" she sighed

"Mission or training?" he asked

"Training again" she said, looking rather upset at the prospect

"Cheer up" he said with a smile "I'll be here tomorrow as well" he said and she sighed before smiling at him

"Thanks Naruto-kun" she said and he waved her off as she left his shop, leaving him to clear up the last of the mess.

The next morning Naruto was awoken by light on his face. He stretched, feeling several joints pop, before climbing out of bed and deciding to get on with his day.

After dressing himself in his usual clothes he headed down into his basement after making sure the ground floor was clean, and nothing had happened during the night. As he had discovered, people were not above breaking into his shop in order to try and steal a bottle of what he produced, though often it was other bars and clubs that wanted the concoctions, presumably to boast their own sales and pull customers away from Naruto's store. He counted himself lucky that he was a very light sleeper in that respect.

He descended down into the basement and took a quick look at his various stocks of ingredients, ranging from spices to grape to plant extracts and actual plants. Once that was done he began to process of brewing another few bottles of some of his finer beverages, such as the ones Anko and Tenten had taken the night before. He swore that he was too soft sometimes, after all such drinks were not cheap to produce, either money or time wise.

The basement itself was bone dry; all the better for making sure nothing went wrong with brewing. It was large, almost the size of the entire ground floor above his head and on one side was filled with shelves while another held various bottles with various liquids sitting inside of them, still fermenting quietly away. Otherwise it was virtually empty, no papers anywhere to record what his recipes were or when or how he had discovered them.

It often surprised people when he told them that no records existed of any of his recipes, he had them all stored in the safest place of all, his head. Though some had labels with small notes on them even those were only known to Naruto as he often wrote them in code, depending on how well he felt the drink would sell, and he usually had a good sense of that. Hence why he stoked so much of certain drinks, although others simply required ingredients that were far too rare to simply be brought on a whim. Those drinks were usually worth a damn sight more than the others and so were locked away in his 'private reserves'.

Once his usual checks were finally done he moved back up stairs, locking the solid oak door behind him, and walked out the front door, quietly closing the door behind him and locking it before walking along the nearly deserted path towards a small flower shop that was quite well known for its size.

"Ah good morning Uzumaki-san" the owner greeted him as he stepped in, green eyes watching Naruto as he leant on the counter

"Good morning Yamanaka-san" Naruto replied

"Here for the usual?" Inoichi asked and Naruto nodded

"Gave the last few bottles away last night" he said with a sigh as Inoichi grabbed a few bags from behind him and put them in front of Naruto

"Gave them away?" Inoichi asked as though the very phase confused him and Naruto chuckled

"Just because you don't get any doesn't mean others don't" he explained and the man chuckled

"I don't drink that much anyway" he admitted while rubbing his chin, looking a bit distracted

"I think that's more to do with your wife" Naruto said and Inoichi chuckled a bit

"Probably" he admitted before smiling "oh, you know my daughter passed her test yesterday?" he said with a proud twinkle in his eyes and Naruto smiled at him, still leaning on the counter

"Really?" he asked, deciding to play along if only to kill time, not that it really bothered him

"Yeah, we're so proud" Inoichi said with a grin and Naruto chuckled while shaking his head

"She with those two then?" he asked and Inoichi nodded "hmm, from what you've told me she won't be bored" Naruto told the man who nodded

"Especially since Shikamaru is so like his father" Inoichi muttered to himself as footsteps rang throughout the house

"Morning Tou-san" a voice rang out as a blonde haired girl came through the back door, dressed in purple, and hugged Inoichi who hugged her back briefly

"Morning hime" he replied and she blushed

"Good morning" Naruto said with a smile, seeing her glare at her father while shifting uncomfortably

"You could have told me" she huffed. Inoichi wisely said nothing at the rebuttal and simply turned his attention back to Naruto

"This is her, say hello Ino-chan" Inoichi encouraged his daughter who straightened out her dress and turned to Naruto before bowing

"Good morning...um" she trailed off, not knowing his name and Naruto bowed back

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, your father speaks highly of you" he said formally while smiling at Inoichi while Ino blushed once again

"Like what?" she asked a bit suspiciously and Naruto shrugged

"How proud he is of you" he said bluntly

"Oh" was all she could say while blushing, then "haven't I seen you before?" she asked and Naruto nodded

"Probably" he agreed while nodding slightly

"Uzumaki-san owns that small bar just down the road" Inoichi explained to Ino who blinked and looked at Naruto hard

"How old are you?" she asked seriously and Naruto chuckled

"Eighteen" he replied and her mouth dropped open

"No way" she muttered as Naruto continued quietly chuckling to himself

"I get that reaction a lot" he said

"But you're so...so..." she was at a loss for words

"Yes I look older" he said, finishing her sentence and she blushed

"Sorry" she muttered and he waved her off

"Don't worry about it"

"Are you a civilian then?"

"Yep"

"Really?"

"What's with all these questions?" he replied light-heartedly "yes I am" he told her while her father looked on, appearing a bit apologetic

"But you're so strong" she muttered before blushing again

"Thank you Ino-chan" he teased her and she huffed

"Don't call be that" she muttered and Naruto laughed again

"Well as much as I'd like to stand here teasing you I've got to get back" he said while taking the sacks and handing over his money "thanks again Yamanaka-san" he said and Inoichi shook his head

"Please don't worry about it" he said and Naruto left the shop, waving to Ino who seemed to be thinking about something rather deeply.

That night Naruto was surprised by the how quiet his store was. Usually within a few minutes of opening people virtually flooded in, especially when he opened to the civilian population. However tonight appeared to be some kind of exception and Naruto found himself leaning on his counter while sighing softly to himself, pouring himself a shot of Bourbon, a soothing herbal brew with a hint of citrus and berry flavours, one of his more potent drinks, despite the apparently innocent taste.

"You sure this is the place?" a muffled voice suddenly said from outside the door and Naruto raised an eyebrow, wondering who was outside his store, moreover, why they were not coming in.

"Yes I'm sure" he heard Ino's voice an sighed to himself, realising that she had probably got the idea in her head to celebrate like an adult now that she and her classmates were technically adults in the eyes of law. Sometimes having a good reputation among ninjas was difficult, especially if it happened to attract the wrong sort of attention.

"Just go in pig" someone snorted and Ino's annoyance could almost be felt through the door as she twisted the handle and walked in, looking more confident than she actually was

"Good evening Ino-san" Naruto called out to her as more people followed her. He realised that many of them were clan heads, not just that, but the last Uchiha was with them as well, looking disinterestedly around his store, as though the whole world was something beneath him. Naruto shook his head and turned his attention back to Ino

"Hello Naruto-san" she returned his greeting, standing in front of the counter while her 'friend's' all sat as a group around one of the larger tables in his shop

"What'll you be having?" he asked her while motioning behind him "though I'll warn you, my stuff isn't the cheapest in the world" he told her seriously and she nodded while passing over a number of bills

"Just sake for now then" she said and Naruto nodded, counting the money quickly while passing over the bottles and dishes

"Be careful" he warned her "I don't want to have to take you, any of you, home because you all had a bit too much" he told her and she smiled at him

"Don't worry Naruto-san" she said and walked off with a confident smile that made Naruto frown, he decided to keep an eye on the lot of them just in case they really did do something stupid. After all, the last thing he needed was the various clans, and the civilian council, breathing down his neck because of some stupid kids.

The door opened again as the kids began to drink and Tenten walked in. Cutting the group a glance she pulled up a stool and sighed as she collapsed on the counter. Naruto smiled

"What's the matter?" he asked "drink?" he said after a pause and she nodded while holding up two fingers to signal 'a bit'

"Teammates" she muttered under her breath and Naruto sighed

"Take a break if you're getting that annoyed with them and their fighting" he told her bluntly and she chuckled dryly as he tried to select a drink for her

"I wish I could" she muttered

"Want me to talk to Gai-san?" Naruto asked and Tenten blinked before shaking her head

"It's no use. That man doesn't know the meaning of 'overkill'" she said and Naruto hummed, agreeing with her as he finally selected her a decent drink.

"Well hopefully this'll make you feel better" he said while pouring some of it into a polished glass

"What is it?" Tenten asked, looking at the liquid inside, sniffing it timidly an blinking at how strong it seemed

"Bourbon" Naruto explained a Tenten nodded absently before sipping it, blinking at its strength

"It's a bit strong" she muttered

"Wait for it" Naruto said with a soft smile as Tenten blinked once again

"Sweet" she said, sounding surprised and Naruto nodded

"Took me a while to get it right, but I think it's good"

"How old?" Tenten asked and Naruto shook his head

"It doesn't matter" he told her, meaning she would not understand the difference making her huff before she continued sipping at her drink, sighing as her muscles began to relax slightly

"What's with them?" she asked Naruto while motioning to the group gathered, chatting rather loudly, not that Naruto minded all the much.

"Graduates" he told her and she hummed to herself

"Wonder if I used to be that noisy?" she muttered to herself

"I don't think you were. Then again you always were quite mature" Naruto said and Tenten blushed slightly.

"You let them in here?" she then asked and Naruto sighed

"Don't really have much of a choice; the only thing is I need to keep an eye on them"

"Why?" Tenten asked while looking back at them again

"Their mostly clan members, or heirs to clans" he told her and she nodded in understanding as they got even louder still

"Their rather noisy" Tenten pointed out and Naruto frowned at them

"I know, but even I can't do much against a bunch of clan heirs and the last loyal Uchiha" he explained while sitting in front of her and she nodded again

"You don't like him do you?" she asked while finishing her glass and pushing some money onto the counter as Naruto poured her another glass

"Nope" he replied "as far as I'm concerned he'll never be able to match his brother" he said and Tenten looked at him

"Why's that? What with the council helping him an' all?" she asked and Naruto sighed while waving to several patrons that moved away from the larger group of young ninjas and sat on the other side of the room.

"He's arrogant. That is a critical weakness that'll kill him in the end, it's happened far too many times" Naruto told her as a young woman approached the bar. Naruto smiled charmingly and stood up, moving over to her

"What can I get you tonight?" he asked her as she smiled back and pointed to several bottles behind him

"Those please" she said and Naruto hummed while taking them down and handing them over along with several glasses, taking her money.

As none of his bottles were labelled it was sometimes a guessing game for the patrons as to what they would get with any of his drinks. Not to say any of them tasted bad, it was just that you were never sure what effects or taste you were going to get once you chose a drink.

The woman smiled at him again before walking back over to her companions while he sat in front of Tenten again

"What about the others?" Tenten asked, carrying on their conversation, Naruto hummed in thought for a moment

"Most of them are alright, but ones like Sasuke and Kiba get on my nerves" he told her

"Arrogance?"

"Yep"

"What about Neji-san?"

"Him as well, though I suspect he has his reasons for being like that" Naruto replied as he turned to the group, frowning to himself, they were getting a bit too boisterous for his liking and he stood up "be back in a moment" he told Tenten before walking off to deal with them.

"Excuse me" he said in a level but firm tone, most of the tables occupants ignored him and he frowned to himself before moving directly into their line of sight

"What?" Kiba, the Inuzuka clan heir said loudly, getting everyone else's attention onto Naruto

"Stop" he said calmly "you are disturbing my other customers" he told them

"You're just a civilian" Kiba said dismissively and Naruto twitched

"I am also well within my rights to physically remove you from my shop. Should you resist and injure me I can take you to court" he told Kiba calmly, a challenging glint in his eye that made Kiba swallow softly

"Sorry" Shikamaru said with the same tone as Naruto as he looked around the group

"Good, sorry for the interruption" Naruto said before moving back to Tenten and sitting down

"Not afraid huh?" she said with a smile and Naruto grunted back

"I'll be glad to see them leave" he said before noticing Anko moving over to them "good evening Anko-chan" he said with a smile. She just huffed and sat down hard next to Tenten who, for once, did not say anything to the clearly annoyed woman.

"Stout" she said and Naruto hummed, pulling a bottle out of a cabinet underneath the counter marker 'PR' and pouring her a glass. She sniffed it and sighed

"You two are turning into alcoholics" he told them and the two women glared sharply at him, making him chuckle

"Bloody IT" Anko mumbled and Naruto sat back

"Didn't go well?" he asked and she shook her head

"Tough bastard" she muttered while Tenten obviously tried to move a little away from Anko. Naruto did have to admit that she was slightly intimidating when angry.

"What about your boss?" he asked and Anko shook her head again

"He wasn't in today, he was out getting some other poor sod to talk" she said before hitting her head on the counter "this is gonna kill me" she muttered and Naruto chuckled, patting her head as she pouted

"There there Anko-chan, I'm sure it'll be fine" he reassured her "after all, it's not like your boss sits under the councils thumb" he said and she sighed while nodding

"I know, but it still annoys me, I'm meant to be the best after all" she muttered before shooting a sharp glare at the genin's table

"Ignore them Anko" Naruto told her and she glared at him

"They're too noisy" she said bluntly and Naruto nodded

"I know but I can't throw them out and I don't want you to kill them" he said, sounding half-joking and half-serious

"But my head" shed whined while trying to look cute and Naruto rolled his eyes as he saw Ino and her pink haired 'friend' walking up to his counter

"What can I get you girls?" he asked as they arrived in front of him as he stood up

"...I don't know" the pink haired girl replied while looking at the bottles behind him and Naruto raised an eyebrow

"It's expensive" he told her and she nodded while showing him the money in her hand. He nodded and turned around, taking a moment before pulling a bottle from the wall and handing it over along with a few clean glasses

"There you go" he said while taking her money

"Can I have..." Ino started and Naruto shook his head

"You lot are far too noisy, I really just want you lot to leave" he told her bluntly as she gaped at him

"Wha..."

"Your distracting my other customers. And Anko-chan here would want nothing more than to murder the lot of you, so please, just take the drink I gave your friend and not get too drunk" he told her and she huffed

"I'll tell..."

"Tell him then" Naruto interrupted, shrugging his shoulders "I'm sure he'll be pleased to know that I stopped you all from getting too plastered" he told her and she pouted but it was clear she understood "anyway most of you have got meetings tomorrow right? Try doing it on a hangover" he said and she pulled a face

"...Fine" she eventually said and Naruto sighed

"I'm fine with you coming by yourself or in small groups, but you're too noisy, that's all" he said and she nodded while walking off as Naruto sat back down and sighed to himself

"You handled that well" Anko said and Naruto sighed again

"Not the best night" he sighed and Anko nodded in agreement

"So why are you here?" Anko then asked Tenten, sounding as though she was trying to pick a fight; Naruto just sat back and let them go at it, watching it grow increasingly heated as he frowned. They usually never went beyond words and tone, but it appeared that the days annoyances coupled with the alcohol in their systems was making them more hostile than usual

"Stop" he suddenly ordered them, causing them both to blink and turn to him, pissed off expressions still on their faces

"What?" Anko asked too sweetly and Naruto shot her a glance

"You two need to chill out alright?" he said and the two women glanced at each other, then Naruto, before taking a couple of deep breaths each

"Sorry Anko-san" Tenten said and Anko looked away before sighing

"Sorry Ten-chan" she replied and Naruto sighed

"I think you two need to take a brake every once in a while. And need to stop drinking" he told them, taking their bottles making them both pout at him, looking like a couple of kicked puppies

"Give it back" they then whined in unison, Naruto stopped himself from twitching at the creepiness of it all as he shook his head

"No way. Take what you've got and then go home and sleep" he told them firmly

"Yes dad" Anko muttered sullenly and Naruto lightly wacked her head

"Be good" he told her, playing along as she held her head

"Meanie!" she shouted, drawing some attention as Naruto laughed at her

"Sorry Anko-chan" he said while rubbing her head making her grin like a kid as Tenten laughed loudly at them.

"Well then, let's go" Anko said after a few minutes, her glass being empty an Naruto not willing to give either of them any more

"Goodnight Anko-chan" Naruto waved to her as she walked out, Tenten just stared at her glass

"You look like a thirty year old alcoholic" Naruto told her and she huffed at him, pouting again

"Not funny" she muttered as Naruto chuckled

"Well I thought it was" he said as the genin's finally left the store, much to everyone's relief as they all sighed

"You gonna let them in like that again?"

"Nope" Naruto replied seriously "anyway that Uchiha just seemed to suck all the life away from those around him" he told her and she chuckled to herself "I don't need something like that here, I could probably stick him in a corner and not be able to see him" he told her and she shook her head in amusement.

"I don't think he'd take to kindly to that" she told him and Naruto shrugged

"Doesn't matter none to me, the military council can't touch me and the civilian council are all patrons of this place so I like to think I can get away with a little more than most other people" he said and she sighed before finishing the last of her glass

"Goodnight Naruto-kun" she said with a smile as she walked away, leaving Naruto to sit and ponder to himself quietly, only to light sound of various conversations filling the air as finally more and more people began to pour into the shop, including Inoichi, who looked less than pleased

"Uzumaki-san" he greeted him as he walked up to the bar and Naruto looked over at him

"Good evening Yamanaka-san" he replied

"Was my daughter in here?" he asked and Naruto nodded

"She was. Along with all of the other graduates, save for the heiress of the Hyuga clan, which is understandable" he said, muttering the last part to himself as he thought of the head of the Hyuga clan and suppressed a shiver.

"And?" the man asked in a level tone, even as his eyes seemed to darken. Naruto blinked and smiled at him

"Don't worry Inoichi-san, I stopped them before they had too much" he told him and the man looked at him a while before finally nodding

"Alright then" he said before sighing and sitting on the stool he had been standing next to "something strong, it's been too long since I got a chance to drink" he said and Naruto nodded, quickly pulling out a bottle from his PR stash and putting it in front of the man

"This should be to your tastes" he said before pouring him a glass, smiling as he moved on to other customers.

_**The End**_

**Hey guys, here's another idea that was running around my head for a little while, hope you enjoyed it. **

**And if you want more please Read & Review, thank you.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hey people, thanks to all those who gave reviews to the first chapter of this particular story. I will be continuing this as requested.**_

_**Also, which character do you want Naruto to go with?**_

_**Finally I might be slow in updating. Skyrim has come out and my days are being gradually spent away playing it.**_

_**Aside from that please enjoy the story.**_

Chapter Two

"These are the finest spices sir, I can assure you"

"Really? From where I'm standing they look aged, see the darkening colour? And the smell is starting to waver"

"Sir please"

"Lower your price; I'm sure those three gentlemen back there will want to know about this"

"...fine"

Naruto was standing in from of spice stall, bottles of various spices sat on the top of the counter, their various smells filling the air with a thousand and one flavours that seemed to boggle the mind as they all blurred together.

The market was held about once a month, positioned around the large clear area around the Hokage tower various traders set up shop and tried to sell their wares to the local populace and whoever happened to be travelling through at the time.

Looking around he could see the many differing stalls, from those selling vegetables to weapons, from meat to clothes, the various colours, shades and voices that filled the air until you were buffered on all sides by a veritable ocean of noise that wanted to simply sweep you away and leave you rather disorientated if you were not careful.

"Here" the merchant in front of him said while handing over several vials of spices. Naruto smiled politely and bowed

"Thank you" he said before walking away. The merchant had been selling dodgy spices and had been caught out by Naruto, sometimes blackmail was a good thing to have, after all.

He walked along, glancing at the various stalls and vendors, who were as varied as their wares, especially as they came from all over the place, from the tanned traders of Suna to the pale Cloud visitors, all came here, to the main economic hub of the five elemental nations, to trade their wares and hopefully get a few contacts before their businesses went bust from rivals.

The sky was clear as he looked up, but the sun was still trying to rise above the false horizon of the buildings, casting bright beams of light overhead, like the great struts of some great ethereal hall. The sky was slowly bleeding to its bright whitish blue that was so familiar, the orange was nearly gone now, and the market was getting to its busiest, at least for those selling various instruments of death, it would not do to let the children of the village near such things after all.

However he had a stop to make before he went back to his shop and started his brewery up once again.

He found the store easy enough, it was next to his after all, the windows were barred but inside sat various instruments of the ninja profession, for katana's to kunai and throwing stars.

"Hello?" he called out as he stepped into the store. It was empty for now, since many people would be at the market instead, as they generally sold the more exotic weapons that so many ninja's found appealing, even if they would never be able to wield them in a real fight. A bit like window shopping.

The inside of the shop was similar to how it looked outside, with various display cabinets protecting the more expensive equipment while the rest were hung up on the walls, the grey against red creating an interesting contrast. From axes to swords to needles everything was here, though Naruto suspected the needles had not been made by the owner, he was more likely to smash them with his strength after all.

"Ah, Naruto-san" someone called out as Naruto turned around

"Good morning Sato-san" he said with a smile at the large man who looked like the inside of a chimney, even while trying to rub off the soot with a cloth from the forge. The man was built like a brick house, taller than Naruto by easily a couple of inches and with muscles like wound iron cable, though the light in his hazel eyes gave him away slightly.

"You here for that order you wanted?" Sato asked Naruto who nodded while pulling out something from a small pack on his belt and putting it on the counter

"And I have what you ordered?" Naruto responded with a smirk that the older man mirrored

"Hmm, so I see. Same recipe?" he asked while rummaging in a few crates just behind the counter

"Of course, just how you like it. Though the spices might be a bit strong" Naruto said with a small smirk

"Hmm...ah, here we go" Sato suddenly said, pulling out a sheathed blade "I must admit, you've gotta be one of the only people I know who can use these things" he told Naruto as he handed it over. Naruto took it and unsheathed the blade

"The tip?" he asked as he took a few experimental swings

"Alloy, just as you asked. The spines also been redone and the actual edge has been re-tempered" Sato explained while watching Naruto who sheathed the blade

"Nice work as always" Naruto said with a smile as Sato snorted

"Always with the compliments, I won't give you any freebies you know?" Sato said while opening the bottle on his counter and sniffing the contents

"Good?" Naruto asked and the man nodded before smirking

"As always" he said and Naruto sighed with a shake of his head

"Well I need to get back, this stuff doesn't make itself" he said as the door behind him opened

"Naruto-kun?" a feminine voice said

"Ah, good timing Tenten-chan" Sato said "you can clean out the forge while I go and get some coal" he said and Naruto got the impression Tenten was standing with her mouth open

"B-but, three days ago..." she muttered and Sato laughed

"Yes but I had to restart it for this guy" he said while pointing at Naruto who waved him off as he turned to face Tenten

"Good morning Tenten-chan" he said with a smile and Tenten blinked, obviously lost as to what was going on or why

"G-good morning" she replied and Sato laughed again before taking his leave. Naruto suspected he was going to the market, he was always after new designs and the like after all.  
>"Wait" Tenten suddenly said and Naruto swore he heard a click as she realised something "what order?" she asked while looking at Naruto with her hands on her hips. Naruto showed her the blade<p>

"A machete?" she asked in wonder

"Can't use it?" Naruto asked as it was a rare day indeed when Tenten did not know how to wield a weapon. She shook her head

"Never really got the hand of it, blades to heavy" she said and Naruto smirked while putting it back on his belt "can you even carry that?" Tenten asked and Naruto waved her off

"I own a ninja bar, it's not uncommon for people like me to have a weapon or three" he told her while she put on a rather dirty leather apron

"How can you even use it?" she asked and Naruto smirked

"Secret" he said in a whisper and she huffed, walking off to the back of the store "see you tonight Ten-chan" Naruto called after her with a smile as he took his leave of the store and retreated back to his own, he had brewing to do after all, and not a lot of time to do it. After all, the Chunin exams were in three months or so, and he knew how busy it would be getting if what he was hearing from others in his trade were saying. And that meant an excuse to go back to Wave, and a possible huge profit.

That night was as busy as ever. The various patrons were mostly traders from around the place, all having heard of Naruto's little place and come here, Naruto was not complaining, he needed more profit to be able to head off to Wave after all.

The place was beginning to smell of smoke from various pipes, cigars and cigarettes that were stuck inside mouths that kept on talking, so the places usual quiet, somewhat peaceful and safe atmosphere was gone, and left in its place was something that made Naruto glad this only happened once every month or so. Most times he closed up his store after all; the smoke was a nightmare to get out of the seats and the like, so he would be shut tomorrow.

The other thing was how some of them were jostling for position to get to the bar first. His normal patrons were waiting outside for a chance to get in, and Naruto was beginning to feel his patience fray.  
>"One of those"<p>

"Yeah, make that two"

"That honey stuff"

"Anything strong"

The various noises where making Naruto twitch so he raised his hands and clapped twice sharply, causing the noise to die down as everyone turned to face him

"Listen" he said "I get that you're all new here, but please show some restraint" he said calmly but with a rather serious expression "I can only do one thing at a time, and shouting at me won't help, get up here and get your drinks because I'm not coming to you. Also those of you that aren't drinking, please leave, I've got other patrons waiting to get in" he told them before sliding two drinks down to someone

"Or what?" a voice said and Naruto turned to see a fairly rich looking man with flushed cheeks

"Or I'll throw you out. It is, after all, my right as the owner of this place. I've done it to ninja's before, so don't think I won't do it to you" he said calmly and the man snorted before turning and swearing at those waiting outside. Naruto frowned and leapt over the bar, people moving out of his way as he grabbed the man by this coat and dragged him to the door and throwing him out where various scowling people where waiting

"Don't come back" he said to the groaning man as he lay on his front on the ground. He turned back to see nearly half the patrons leave, much to his relief, the others having apparently gotten the message. He motioned for the others to come in

"Want the doors open?" a man asked and Naruto nodded

"Thanks" he muttered as he rubbed his face as he stepped back behind his bar.

"Hey Naruto-kun"

"Hey Ten-chan, same?"

"No thanks; just come of that herb stuff"

Naruto raised an eyebrow but got what she had motioned at, pouring out a glass for her as she handed him the money

"You alright?"

"I'm shattered" she groaned as she put her head on the counter, Naruto just laughed

"Don't laugh at me" she huffed at him and he shook his head

"He worked you too hard again did he?" he asked while pouring someone else a drink

"Why do I always get the crazy ones?" she asked with a pout and Naruto chuckled softly, messing up her hair as she tutted as swatted at his hands

"Must be your charm" he said and she pouted again, though the blush was rather prominent on her cheeks as she sipped at her own drink

"Seen Anko today?" he then ask and Tenten shook her head and he frowned to himself

"Why?" she asked and he sat down in front of her

"Got something I want her to try" he said with a sigh

"What about me?" she asked, perking up and he smiled but shook his head

"This stuff would burn your throat" he told her and she grimaced, likely remembering the last time she had had something with that sort of kick to it, that had not really been a pleasant start to the night.

"She wasn't in the market?" Tenten asked and Naruto shook his head before shrugging and standing back up.  
>"Well whatever, she's either got work or is with those other two she always hangs around with" he said while moving off to deal with another customer as Tenten sat with the bottle next to her, quietly sipping it away.<p>

Naruto sometimes felt a guilty when he saw her sitting there by herself, but none of her classmates drank, at least not to his knowledge, and the stories he had heard about that little Gai clone Lee made him glad for it, it was hard enough getting smoke out of the building, let alone blood. But still, he could not shake that minor feeling of guilt.

The next day Naruto was surprised to see, in the pale orange light of the setting sun, Sakura Haruno standing in front of his store with a rather pensive look on face. She looked as though she was fighting herself as to whether to stay or go.

"Good evening Haruno-san" he called out to her as she raised her hand to knock at his door

"O-oh, good evening...um?" she trailed off and Naruto smiled patiently

"Uzumaki Naruto" he said and she nodded

"Um, well..."

"Shall we go inside?" he said with a raised eyebrow, both hands filled with groceries as he did so. Sakura nodded, pink hair swaying in the cool breeze that signalled the approaching night.

Naruto opened the door with some difficulty and led her inside before closing it once again, Sakura looked around the inside of the store while he quickly put his shopping upstairs and came back down. Motioning for her to sit on a stool he took a bottle from the stack of shelves behind the counter and poured them both a drink before sitting opposite her on the same side of the counter. She looked dubiously at the drink.

"Take it" he told her gently while sipping at his own glass "this isn't the only time I've done this" he explained and she nodded slightly while sipping at her own drink

"Can I...?" she asked and Naruto motioned for her to go ahead "well, um, I asked Tenten-san about who I could talk to and she recommended you" she explained and Naruto nodded seriously

"She would" he said with a light smile that masked his amusement and Sakura took the glass in her hand, the light green liquid inside smelling of warm summer days and comfort, she inhaled deeply and sighed as her body seemed to relax slightly.

"I'm...well I'm weak" she said and Naruto sipped his glass, not seeming that bothered by her sudden declaration

"You're not" he told her calmly

"I am" she insisted more firmly and Naruto hummed to himself

"Everything in this world is relative" he told her seriously, voice low. "You see, to me you are strong, although you are only a genin, to Kakashi-san you are pathetically weak, to the Hokage Kakashi-san is weak, etc etc" he told her

"I meant compared to my teammates" she explained, having calmed down

"Ah" Naruto said as he grasped the situation "who are they?"

"Sasuke-kun and Sai-san" she said and Naruto nodded, searching his memory briefly for information before nodding to himself

"You forget that both of them have a history of ninja training, and also the Uchiha is from a bloodline family that pushed you till you either broke or gave them what they needed" he told her and she shook her head

"But I can't do anything" she muttered and Naruto sighed

"Then train, ask Kakashi-san to help you" he told her and she shook her head

"He only helps Sasuke-kun" she said and Naruto frowned, though inside he was rubbing his hands together at the blackmail material he could now give to Anko, that was sure to cause all sorts of mischief for the poor sod.

"I see" he said seriously, finger lightly tracing the rim of his now empty glass, a light hum filling the air as he did so "and what about the Uchiha?" he asked and she shook her head again

"His brother" she muttered and Naruto sighed

"Why do you like him Sakura-san?" he asked and she blinked

"Because..."

"Because what? Don't say 'cool', because as far as I'm concerned people like that are dangerous" he told her and she shook her head slightly and began to think

"He's strong"

"Because the council backs him as the last loyal Uchiha"

"He's smart"

"Same answer"

"Um...he has money?"

"That he can't touch as he isn't the head of a clan"

"Oh..."

"He's not that great" Naruto said while sipping his drink, Sakura looked slightly offended

"But he is" she insisted and Naruto waved the topic off

"But he is also the reason why you're not strong" he told her seriously

"No, he's..."

"A distraction at best, a liability at worst" he told her while refilling his glass "you go on diets don't you?"

"Of course"

"What do you need to train?"

"Energy..."

"And food gives you that" Naruto said while sighing softly "also your muscles won't build without sufficient protein. This isn't a child's game Sakura-san, people die" Naruto said as he suddenly heard voices outside. Sakura seemed oblivious, lost in her own thoughts as the seeds of doubt took hold.

Naruto was aware of many girls that had 'fallen' for the Uchiha heir; however Sakura and Ino seemed to be the only ones really pushing for it. Sakura more than Ino. He found it disappointing, that so many promising people could be weakened and reduced by someone as small as the last Uchiha.

The door suddenly swung open and Naruto stood up, face like thunder as he got ready to shout at and then throw out whoever had just walked in.

"Oh..." the person said as she noticed what was going on, two other people behind her

"Anko-san" Naruto said after a few calming breaths "please go back outside and wait with the rest"

"O-of course" Anko stuttered, looking rather flustered and more than mildly embarrassed as she exited the shop with her two friends in tow, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Naruto sighed to himself and sat back down next to Sakura

"Sorry about that" he said and she shook her head

"What should I do?" she asked him and he sighed

"Look, my advice would be to stop dieting, start doing more exercising and then try and find someone to teach you the more advanced nuances of chakra control" he told her as he stood up

"Why chakra control?" she asked, looking a bit brighter

"You've likely got a small chakra reserve from lack of practice, so you'll have superb chakra control" he explained and she nodded before looking at him

"How do you know that?" she asked with a slight narrowing of her eyes and Naruto smiled at her

"I run a bar which ninja's often frequent" he told her with some amusement as she flushed in embarrassment "I would think I'd pick up on a few things" he said and she nodded

"Thank you Uzumaki-san" she said, bowing, and Naruto waved her off

"Call me Naruto, everyone else does" he told her and she nodded, bowing once again before walking out of the shop as Naruto followed her before opening the door and looking at Anko who looked rather ashamed. A silence permeated the air before he finally spoke

"Come in" he said and walked back inside and taking up his usual position behind the counter as people began filing in and taking seats. Anko was the first to walk up to him

"Um...hearty punch" she said while looking rather meek, a surprising thing to be sure unless one was her friend. Naruto nodded and pulled out two bottles while she handed him the money, wincing when he did not say anything.

She turned away but Naruto gently touched her arm making her turn as he kissed her on the cheek, she blushed.

"Don't do it again" he told her seriously and she nodded before walking back over to her two friends who were grinning at her as she looked lighter, making him sigh and shake his head while several other patrons walked up to the bar to order.

Later that night and the store had quietened down. Many of the civilians had gone back home, either because of their wives, or jobs, or simply Naruto telling them that they had had more than enough and he would not sell them anymore. That was one of the many reasons why so many people came to his store, they could always trust him to stop them before they ended up getting too drunk and saying or doing something stupid that everyone would regret the following morning.

Only Anko's group and a smattering of ninja's were left, many were now on leave at this time of the year, as the number of jobs increased so did their work load, and so many more were required to take time off, which meant Naruto generally had to stay open later than usual, though he certainly received more patrons, which was never a really bad thing, also he found most ninja's could drink a damn sight more than other patrons, which he suspected was because of training. It would not do to die of alcohol poisoning after all.

"Another Naruto-san" one of the men called out, sitting in the slightly darker section of the room. Once the civilians had left Naruto had dimmed the lights slightly, much to the relief of his more sensitive customers

"Here" he said while putting a bottle of black liquid on the counter, the man took it, flashing a small smile of gratitude, before sitting back down at his table with one other occupant and opening it.

"Naruto-kun" Anko said as she also walked back up. She and her two friends had been there for almost six hours and Naruto was having to keep a close eye on them, especially since he knew how much Anko could drink if you let her.

"What?" he asked, stifling a yawn as Anko lent on the counter rather suggestively, Naruto kept his eyes on her face, knowing how she got once she started going.  
>"Such a gentlemen" she muttered, though she did not sound displeased.<p>

"More?" he asked as he reached behind him

"No" she said while stifling her own yawn "what were you talking to that girl about?" she asked curiously and Naruto shook his head

"Stuff" he said cryptically and she pouted

"You're not gonna tell me are you?" she asked and he shook his head while pulling out his last bottle of punch just in case. He had more but she did not need to know that.

"Who recommended you?" she then asked with a feral grin and Naruto hummed to himself

"Tenten-chan did I believe" he said and Anko nodded

"Sounds like her"

"Uh huh, so, want the last bottle?" he asked while holding up the bottle as she tilted her head before taking the bottle and handing him what must have been the last of her money for the evening.

"Come and join us?" she asked and Naruto glanced around the bar as several more people walked out into the bold night air, he shrugged and walked after her, putting a glass down while picking up a clean one for himself.

He sat down at the table with the three women

"All jonin's?" he asked and Anko nodded while the other women looked at him

"I can see what you mean by him being perceptive" one of them said, she had brown eyes and hair done up in a single ponytail with bangs on either side of her face, red fang tattoo marks sat, showing her as a member of the Inuzuka clan.

"Yeah, how'd you know that?" asked the other one, with purple hair and hazel eyes that seemed rather sharp, Naruto frowned to himself

"Body language" he explained simply before pointing at her "though you're an Anbu" he said with confidence and she blinked in surprise before laughing

"This is Hana and Yugao" Anko said as she pointed to them in turn "met up in Anbu"

"But I'm not an Anbu member" Hana said and Anko blinked while Naruto sighed, Anko getting that slow meant she had had far too much, though she was not drunk yet.

"I'm guessing she brought you here then?" Naruto asked, he knew that unless they were on breaks, most ninja's went to the official ninja exclusive bars, since they were generally safer. But those off duty rarely wanted to talk about work anyway, so they came here. Though on ninja exclusive nights many left their usual haunts to come to Naruto's place, as he knew from the faint glares he got in the streets from the owners of the said establishments.

"Of course" Hana sighed, though a small smiled gave away her satisfaction

"You like it?" he asked

"Probing us for information?" Yugao said teasingly and Naruto chuckled

"Don't need to, you staying here's enough of an answer" he said

"Oh? We might just be here because Anko-chan likes it" she said and Naruto laughed

"I doubt that" he said while pouring them all a glass from the bottle

"I think he figured you out" Anko teased Yugao who shook her head while sitting back

"It's not that easy" she said and Naruto smiled

"That necklace" he said, causing her to blink and touch the thin gold pendant around her neck

"This?"

"Yep, you're going out with someone, probably someone close in rank and who compliments your personality well" he told her and she shrugged  
>"So you don't know?" she asked and she shook his head<p>

"I don't really go near any ninja's outside of my work if I can possibly help it. It attracts unwanted attention" he said and she nodded in understanding

"You seem to get along well with us though" Hana said and Naruto shrugged

"I'm good with people, or so I'm told" he said modestly while sipping his own drink as the three ladies did the same

"Where's Tenten-chan today?" Anko asked and Naruto shrugged

"Don't know, bit like not knowing where you've been the past few days" he teased her and she huffed

"I had work, and I always ended late. Besides I didn't feel like coming here when it was filled with all those merchants and stuff" she told him and he sighed while leaning back

"That smoke was a pain in the ass to get out" he muttered to himself as he finished off his glass

"Good thing you kicked Asuma out then" Anko said and Hana nodded

"How he thinks he got a chance with Kurenai-chan I don't know" she said and Yugao and Naruto hummed to himself

"He'll keep on pushing. The mans a fool but he's loyal, that's really what Kurenai wants" he told them, eyes fixed on his glass as his fingers played along its rim "eventually she'll give in, then it'll get more and more serious from there" he told them and she looked at him

"You mean she'll give in?" Anko asked, sounding more than slightly put out at that idea while Naruto shrugged

"There's a possibility, she wants to be loved, I think, and he's showing a lot of interest" he told them and they looked at one another. Naruto got the impression he may have just accidently signed Asuma's death warrant for him. Not that he really regretted it.

"Don't kill him" he told them and they looked at him sharply

"Why?" Anko asked and Naruto hummed

"Kurenai might not appreciate you doing that" he told her and she slumped while pouting

"Fine, what about snakes?" she asked and Naruto sighed

"No poisonous ones" he told her sternly as the other two watched on

"What about a small cobra?"

"No cobras, what part of 'no poisonous ones', didn't you understand?"

"The 'no' part"

"Figures, look, just don't kill the man or incriminate yourself and you can do whatever you want"

"Aw, will you miss me if I'm gone?"

"Yes"

Anko blushed fiercely at the straight forward answer while the other two women watched on in amusement

"You're like her guardian or something" Yugao said

"Yeah, like an older brother" Hana said while nodding and Anko's blush deepened as Naruto smiled

"I get that a lot" he said fondly while making sure no one was left in the store

"You gonna kick us out now?" Hana asked with a feral grin and Naruto shook his head

"Nope, anyway Anko often stays late so I'm used to it" Naruto explained and they nodded in understanding while Anko fought her blush back down

"You need the company" Anko said, teasing him as he stood up

"I'm sure. Though it seems to be more you coming to me than the other way round" he said and she turned away with a huff, having lost their little game. The other two set about teasing her, as it was rather rare to have any ammo against Anko, normally she was the one who had it against you.

"Oh yeah" Naruto suddenly said while turning to face Anko while wiping down the tables "turns out Kakashi hasn't been training his team as he said" he told Anko who perked up with a feral smile, like some kind of hunter that's just caught the scent of weak prey

"What is it?" she asked and Naruto moved behind his counter to collect the empty glassware

"Turns out that he's only training the Uchiha, Sakura's been left at the wayside and apparently that Sai kid doesn't need training" Naruto told her and Anko purred in satisfaction

"Finally" she said to herself while chuckling darkly. Naruto nearly felt sorry for the man, nearly was the key word there though.

He moved about the place, picking up bottles and the like until the place was entirely clean save for Anko's table, where he three women were still talking. Naruto got the impression they were now thinking about ways to best make Kakashi suffer now, he knew Anko had a bad view of those who failed to train their students properly, or who betrayed them. He knew it originated from her past and why, but he certainly never sought to find out, after all, there were some boundaries and boarders that not even he was willing to try and traverse. Not that he was sure Anko really even remembered it herself.

However eventually they stood up

"See ya around Naruto-san" Hana and Yugao called out as they left

"Bye Naruto-kun" Anko said, waving in a bit of an exaggerated fashion as she left after her two friends. Naruto just shook his head and got to making the place presentable once again.

The following morning found Naruto out in a field that was rarely used by ninjas anymore. His new machete was in his hand as he slowly moved through a kind of dance, as though facing imaginary enemies that were just as slow as he was. The strain caused small beads of sweat to gather on his forehead, glinting in the early morning sun as he moved through this strange dance of his.

He stopped suddenly as he heard a small giggle behind him

"Good morning Ten-cha" he said without turning, listening to her huff and probably cross her arms

"How'd you know?" she asked as she moved in front of him and he smiled at her

"I know your voice" he said "I hear it often enough" he teased while continuing with his strange moves

"I'm sure you do" Tenten replied dryly while watching him "what're you doing?" she asked him after a time and he stopped to look at her

"Practising" he told her bluntly and she huffed again

"Why? You're not a ninja" she pointed out and Naruto raised an eyebrow while wiping the sweat from his forehead

"And?" he asked "I need to keep in shape as well you know" he told her and she blushed slightly

"I know that" she defended herself "I 'm just wondering why you're doing it with a machete of all things, why not Tai Chi or something?"

"Because I can't kill with Tai Chi" Naruto explained and she blinked

"Why would you need to do that?" she asked and Naruto looked at her again

"I live in a ninja village. Why would I not?" he asked

"But the ninjas defend you" she pointed out with a hand on her hip. Naruto shook his head

"But they can't be everywhere. Besides it gives me an excuse to keep in shape" he said while spinning the blade as though he was totally comfortable handling it

"You've done this before" Tenten said and Naruto nodded

"Had to defend myself when I was young, well, that and I needed to eat" he told her and she looked at him closely

"What about the shops?" she asked and Naruto shrugged

"I only sometimes hunted, I'm quite good with a bow as well, not really ninja tools but I certainly became quite deadly with them"

"Where are they then?"

"Not in the store, if that's what you're asking"

"Why?"

"Not strictly legal, I had to get a permit for this blade after all; a bow at close quarters wouldn't work anyway" Naruto said while putting it back inside of its sheath before sitting on a nearby fallen log and watching Tenten who shifted uncomfortably.

"What?" she asked as Naruto smiled at her

"Go on then" he urged and she blushed slightly

"Fine then" she said with a faint blush as she took off her jacket and got herself in position facing several of the trees with one hand over her pouch containing all manner or sharp instruments of death that every respectable ninja carried with them, even off duty. Not that Naruto allowed them in his store, unless told too by a higher authority, would not do to have blood spilled after all, and the dead body would only make it harder to keep himself open.

Suddenly she moved into action, her body twisting and flexing as she began to throw those sharp metal instruments at near lightning speed. He watched them sing through the air to impale a tree a little over ten metres away, all landing in a neat circle on the trunk. Then the next tree, a little further away, and so on and so forth until she came to a stop, panting and out of breath with Naruto clapping his hands together softly.

"Impressive as always" he said with a smile and she laughed breathlessly

"Thank you" she said while catching her breath

"I can certainly see why your team does so well for itself" he said while walking over to her and handing her over a towel

"Where?" she asked as she took it, Naruto just smiled and pointed to his pack

"How?" she asked, he shook his head

"I often see you out here" he explained while sitting back down as she began to stretch "do you not do any real defensive training?" he asked her and she shook her head

"Why?"

"You realise you'll have to fight one-on-one in the exams right?" he asked her and she nodded "what about if your against someone from Suna?" he asked and she stopped while looking at him

"Those puppeteers?" she asked with a humoured expression and Naruto shook his head

"Those wind users" he told her and she looked thoughtful for a moment

"That's quite a small chance" she said and Naruto sighed

"Its Murphy's Law" he told her "better to be covered on all sides and to leave no stone unturned" he said and she looked at him, a raised eyebrow and cocked hip and she watched him

"What should I do then?" she asked him and he shrugged

"Learn some defensive techniques or something, I don't know, you're the ninja here after all" he told her and she shook her head, but Naruto knew well enough she would take his advise on board, he was often right with these sorts of things, much to her and Anko's irritation.

"You gonna go to Wave soon?" Tenten suddenly asked him and he nodded

"I need to, several of my shipments haven't arrived and I need them well before the Chunin exams start up" he said and Tenten looked at him dubiously

"Despite the rumours?"

"Especially" he said with a small grin "it's been a while since I've gotten out of here" he said almost wistfully and Tenten looked uncomfortable for a moment

"Do you not like it here?" she asked and Naruto looked at her out of the corner of his eyes before sighing and turning to face her full on

"I don't hate it Ten-chan, especially with you and Anko-chan here, and I have enough to keep me busy nowadays, it's just I like seeing things other than the same boring routine" he told her and she nodded, apparently understanding where he was coming from.

"What about the others?" she asked and Naruto rested his elbow on his knee and put his chin on his fist while looking up at her

"I don't need to socialise Ten-chan, I get that enough between you, Anko, and Anko's friend's" he said and she nodded again before getting back into position to continue with her training. Naruto just watched her for a while, losing himself in his thoughts.

Though he had said that about going to Wave he did feel slightly anxious about going to a town that was now apparently all but ruled over by bandits and some kind of mysterious overlord that had claimed many of the shops and docks for himself. Though really it was the idea of running into a ninja that scared him more than the bandit thing, as they could often wield their weapons with as much grace and deadliness as a leaf, however any ninja was deadly to a civilian unless they were massively outnumbered or overpowered; hence the machete.

He also needed to get away for a while. If he stayed to long in Konoha he was liable to start descending into a type of madness that eventually forced him to close his shop and leave. This Wave deal provided a more than viable excuse for him to leave for a little while, it was not like he would lose his entire customer base by leaving for a few weeks or so after all, though he reckoned some would take the opportunity to try and do so. Either that or try to break into his store while he was gone, suddenly he was glad he had Anko around, she was usually enough to deter anyone who wanted to break in.

Though she was liable to hide and scare the crap out of anyone trying to do so, hell, rumours were still circulating after her last stint at guarding his house. She had successfully caused several men to nearly shit themselves in fear, and had captured one, he was still undergoing some therapy after what she had done to him, and Naruto had not wished to know the details after hearing that. He had enough on his plate without adding nightmares of Anko to that.

"Did you meet Sakura yesterday?" Tenten suddenly asked him, bringing him out of his thoughts as he looked at her, holding a rather difficult position, or at least what looked like a difficult position. He frowned at the pose before shrugging

"Yeah, she found me easily enough" he said and she nodded, releasing the pose and shaking her limbs out before turning to him

"Help her?" she asked and Naruto nodded again

"As I always seem to do with people" he sighed overdramatically before frowning slightly "it'll take a while though, a few more talks will straighten her out" he told her

"How?" Tenten asked and Naruto shook his head

"She's obsessed with the Uchiha. His brother was alright before he went off of the rails, but this one just annoys the hell out of me" Naruto said with a slight grimace as Tenten laughed at his expression

"You hate him?" she asked and Naruto shook his head

"He's unstable though" he told her seriously "that boy will end up killing someone, just you watch" he said and she looked at him for a while, as though wondering if he was being serious of not before sighing

"Why not tell someone?" she asked and Naruto laughed

"The council would have my hide if I started something about him" he said and Tenten shrugged

"Can't do anything then" she said and Naruto nodded

"Exactly, just have to wait and see" he said as he stood and stretched

"You going back?" Tenten asked and Naruto shrugged

"I haven't got anything to do for now. My shipments are tied up in Wave, for now all I can do is talk Anko into defending my store while I'm gone and get ready for opening tomorrow"

"When are you leaving then?"

"I don't know" Naruto admitted while shrugging "the exams aren't for another month and a half, so I've got a little bit of time before I need something done about it" he told her and she looked thoughtful

"Don't even think about it" he told her and she blinked at him

"What?"

"Don't get your team to follow me, I can't pay for a B-rank mission" he told her and she tilted her head curiously

"Why a B-rank?" she asked and Naruto looked at her

"The man's probably got ninja's with him" he explained

"And you want to go alone?" Tenten asked with a blank expression and Naruto nodded

"I'll be fine, I'm not as weak as most civilians"

"You're not a ninja" Tenten said and Naruto sighed

"We've gone through that before as well. I can look after myself and that's final" he told her while kissing her cheek, making her blush and look at him

"What?" she asked suspiciously

"For being worried" he said with a smile and she blushed while turning away

"You're welcome" she muttered and Naruto laughed softly, hugging her briefly before walking away. He needed to find Anko, and that was never a very easy task at the best of times.

He decided to look in her favourite place besides his own store, which happened to be a well known dango store, though this early in the morning it was about as desolate as his own store.

He found her sitting at the back, away from the windows as she munched on her favourite food. He sighed and walked over to her, amazed, as always, at her obliviousness to the world when eating such food.

"Hey Anko-chan" he greeted her as he sat down opposite her

"Oh, hey Naruto-kun" she said with a grin before going back to her food

"I see your here as always" he said with a small smile and she glared at him, causing him to chuckle to himself "the owners of this place must love you if you do this all the time" then he sighed dramatically "oh if only I wasn't such a bleeding heart and stopped giving you free booze" he said and she swallowed before levelling a glare at him once again

"I would pay you know" she told him

"Of course" he said, waving her off as she pouted

"I would" she insisted

"Uh huh" Naruto responded, nodding while looking out of one of the windows as Anko glared at him

"Fine, don't give me any freebies anymore then" she said and he smiled while looking at her

"Are you sure?" he asked and she opened her mouth but stopped, closing it suddenly, making him grin while she looked away

"Fine" she said with a pout and Naruto laughed

"I'm only teasing Anko-chan, I know you're poor" he said, laughing at her indignant expression

"I am not" she said hotly and he waved his arms

"I know, I'm just kidding" he said, still chuckling as she started to eat her food again while looking distinctly annoyed with Naruto.

"Meanie" she huffed at him once she had finished and Naruto grinned

"You're just too fun to tease" he told her light-heartedly before turning to face her properly "but aside from that I came to ask you something" he said and she perked up instantly

"Can I kill them?" she asked with a feral grin that made several people walking by shiver in fear

"No Anko-chan" Naruto said, sounding exasperated "I just need you to scare them off like always" he said and she pouted but nodded all the same

"Same payment?" she asked with a grin and Naruto hummed in agreement

"Unless you want something else, but I should point out that once I've paid for everything I'll be about as poor as you" he told her and she huffed again, much to his amusement

"I'll do it. But I get to choose what I want" she demanded and Naruto frowned slightly

"Within reason" he told her and she pouted again

"Come on" she whined and Naruto frowned deeper

"Anko" he said seriously "you know some of the stuff I have is worth a fortune" he told her and she sobered up

"Yeah I know, it's just I want to taste it at least once" she said with a wistful expression and Naruto sighed while shaking his head

"You will one day Anko-chan. It's one of the reasons I'm going to Wave" he told her, holding up his hand immediately as she tried to say something

"Don't" he told her and she shut her mouth again "good, I'll be fine, I'm armed as well so I'll be better off than most travellers" he told her and she nodded, though it was clear that she did not like the idea very much "anyway, I'm going to Wave to gather some more supplies to make that wine of mine, the Hokage himself has apparently been considering ordering a bottle for himself and his guests"

"He would" Anko huffed, annoyed at how she never had any money

"This is the third batch Anko-chan, once it's finished you can have some" he told her, smiling at her excited expression

"How long?" she asked and Naruto looked thoughtful

"Well usually I'd be looking at several years at least" he told her, watching her expression fall "however there's a way to speed it up" he said, smiling as she perked up like a playful puppy

"What?" she asked eagerly and she shook his head and tapped his nose

"Trade secret my dear" he said as she sat back down again, looking deflated

"You're killing me Naru-kun" she explained while clutching her heart and Naruto laughed at her

"Don't worry Anko-chan, you'll be the first to open the new batch I promise" he said and she seemed happier at that

"Fine then. So, when are you going?"

"I'm not sure yet"

"What do you mean, 'you're not sure yet'?"

"I've got obligations, and besides, I won't need it for a few more weeks at most, so I can take my time. I mean it should only take a week to reach Wave, tops"

"I see"

"I wonder about that. Anyway, I'll be sure to see you and Tenten before I go anyway so don't worry about that"

"I wasn't going to"

"Uh huh"

"I wasn't"

"I know. Anyway I guess I'll see you and your groupies tonight then?"

"Guess so" Anko shrugged and Naruto nodded before kissing her cheek

"Are the other lot coming as well?" he asked as he stood, pushing in his chair as he spoke

"It is Friday so I'd assume so"

"Great" Naruto muttered to himself before shaking his head and walking away "see you later Anko-chan" he called out behind him as he left the store, leaving Anko to her second, or third, plate of dango.

The daylight was bleeding away when Naruto returned to his store. The light was fading from the sky, turning it from a bright blue, to a dark indigo that then turned to black at the heist point in the sky. While far off at the boundary of the horizon the light bled from bright oranges and reds to blue that then slowly turned to black. The stars slowly arriving as though the vale was gradually being pulled away as the sun swiftly fell beyond and below the horizon.

He shivered slightly as he opened his door, flipping the sign on it as he walked upstairs to change himself. The inside was certainly warmer than the outside, where the heat seemed to disappear as swiftly as the light. He had arrived at just the right time between the day workers were in their homes while those who went out were also still stuck in their homes getting ready.

He pulled on a new change of clothes, loose dark trousers and a white shirt that looked neater than many of his other clothes, and cleaner too. He moved back downstairs and stood behind the bar, feeling ready to get on with the night, though his mind was filled with a thousand and one thoughts other than the profit he was liable to make in this one night of trading with the populace. If he was lucky none of the new genin would come in and disrupt the usually peaceful scene; which reminded him, he had not heard anything from that Inuzuka heir since he had threatened to throw him out, though he had half expected the boy to go and tell his mother. Though from what he had seen from Hana, he had probably been told off and punished for disrupting other people.

The door suddenly opened and Anko along with her two friend's walked in, Anko looking rather glad that they were the first ones there

"Good evening ladies" Naruto greeted them politely with a small smile as they came up to the bar

"Good evening Naruto-kun" Anko said cheerfully as the other two also greeted him

"Just got off of duty?" Naruto asked Hana who looked rather tired. He glanced behind him, retrieving three glasses and a bottle of punch while he put in front of Anko, who looked at it happily as though seeing an old friend for the first time in years.  
>"I work at the vets" Hana told Naruto who nodded<p>

"Hmm, sounds like fun"

"As fun as working a bar" Hana responded and Naruto tipped an imaginary hat in her direction

"Well played" he said with as smile as she laughed while Yugao sighed while leaning her arms on the counter

"For you?" he asked as she sighed

"Something strong" she said and Naruto removed a bottle with black liquid inside as she passed across the money

"Boyfriend trouble?" he asked looking at Anko "this is the stuff I wanted you to try a few days ago" he told her and she smiled sheepishly.

"That obvious huh?" she asked with a sigh and Naruto smiled at her

"Nah, I'm just good at this sort of thing" he told her and Hana snorted

"Ego much" she said and Naruto laughed

"You should talk to Kakashi-san, or his student if you want ego" he told her and she nodded with a smile at his words

"True enough" Anko grumbled

"You got him yet?" Naruto asked and she shook her head

"The guys good, but I'll get him sooner or later. I'm sure telling Kure-chan what he did will make for some interesting fireworks" she said with a grin and Naruto chuckled

"I don't envy him" he said as she woman moved off to take their usual seats around one of the smaller table, huddling together as though to discuss plans for world domination. The thought made Naruto chuckle, he certainly would not put it past Anko, after all.

The door opened a few moments later as Yugao took a swig of the drink he had given her and began coughing while Hana gasped at how hot his punch was, much to his amusement

"What is this?" Yugao shouted over at him as the jonin's filtered into the room and took up their own table, the largest one he had in the place.

"Something strong" he responded with a grin and she huffed while walking up to him "do you not like it?" he asked curiously, it would be a first for him after all. She shook her head

"I don't hate it, it's just...warn me next time" she said with a threatening glare as he laughed while she went to go sit back down.

He turned his attention to the two men approaching the counter, Kakashi and his 'rival' Gai, a man built like a machine that was a true master of unarmed combat, though the man's taste of clothing and his huge eyebrows made Naruto wonder if he was entirely right in the head. At least as right as ninja's could get.

"Good evening gentlemen" he greeted them, though he said it more to Gai than to Kakashi

"Good evening Uzumaki-san" Gai responded with his usual enthusiasm and Naruto smiled, it was nice to see someone so cheerful and energetic, Anko was as well, but her attentions focused on sowing mayhem and a little bit of chaos in various people's lives, his own being one such case.

"Sake?" Naruto asked as Kakashi nodded

"I believe Kurenai-san wished for something different" Gai said, obviously thinking out loud while Naruto chuckled  
>"Send her over" he told the man who nodded, looking like a man on a mission as he strode off with Kakashi in tow, drinks in hand. Naruto knew the two liked to fight with each other, in the non-violent sense of course, and one such contest was usually drinking, however Naruto had stopped that the first time. Sufficed to say they had not tried such a contest again in his store.<p>

Kurenai wandered over and leant on the counter

"Yes Uzumaki-san?" she said and Naruto smiled at her politely

"I was told you wished for something a little different today" he said and she nodded

"Well, this place does have that sort of reputation after all" she said with a teasing smile and Naruto nodded

"Well, much to my shame it seems" Naruto said and she giggled gaily, Naruto was suddenly glad he had kicked Asuma out

"Do you have anything...sweet?" Kurenai asked and Naruto smiled brightly

"Ah, another sweet toothed lady" he said as she smiled at him while he quickly looked around his shelves before pulling down a honey coloured bottle and putting on the counter along with the glass

"Thank you" she said while handing him the money, he took it but handed a few notes back making her look at him in question

"Consider it a gift" he said and she frowned but nodded "I don't mean it like that" Naruto assured her honestly "I do it for many of my loyal customers, you can ask Anko-chan over there is you don't believe me" he told her and she nodded again, this time much happier as she walked back over to her table, leaving Naruto to his own thoughts as he listened to the numerous conversations and his own thoughts in his head.

"Oh by the was Kakashi" Anko suddenly called out

"Hmm?" Kakashi responded, nose buried in that infamous book of his. Naruto had half a mind to throw him out simply because of that, it seemed to annoy most of his female customers; unfortunately the man paid good money and kept to himself.

"A little birdie told me you aren't training that girl of yours properly" Anko said, almost to herself. Kakashi frowned

"How I train my team isn't your business" he told Anko who suddenly looked like a rather vicious tigress

"Isn't it now?" she asked slowly, her tone low, nearly hissing as Naruto watched the scene unfold. Kurenai was also glaring at Kakashi who was looking just mildly uncomfortable as Anko drew closer and closer to his seat

"And what about that little Uchiha brat, hmm?" she said as she slithered up to him, her face closer to his, eyes staring into his soul as she did so

"Anko" Naruto called out, getting her attention "leave the man to drink in peace" he said and she frowned, turning back to Kakashi who looked relived

"This isn't over" she whispered loudly before moving back to her own seat and shooting Naruto a questioning glance which he waved off. She understood as she sat back down and resumed conversing with Hana and Yugao.

Eventually the noise level resumed is normal height and Naruto was free to have some time to himself for a change, generally clearing anything up he had not the night before while keeping an eye on his patrons. A few Anbu's joined them in their own little group in one corner, muttering quietly to themselves, but aside from that the night remained uneventful and quiet for the most part as far as Naruto was concerned at least. Which was always a nice change from how it usually was.

The only other person to enter during the night was Tenten who saw Gai and almost left before apparently realising the man was a bit tipsy and not really paying attention to his surrounding, along with the rest of the jonin's save for Kurenai who was enjoying the sweet wine Naruto had given her. She sat at the bar and rested her head on the cool wood of the counter while Naruto poured her a drink

"Old man working you too hard?" he asked while sitting opposite her, she sighed and looked up at him with bloodshot eyes

"Been cleaning that bloody forge all day again, and sharpening nearly every weapon in the shop" she winged, clenching her hands and making a pained face

"He's getting ready for the Chunin exams I'll bet" Naruto told her and she nodded

"I think so too, well, at least I'm getting paid overtime for nearly dying" she groaned and Naruto patted her head

"Don't worry about it, they won't be held here next year, it'll take probably another four years for it to circulate back here. Though with Mist out of the picture for now it could be more like three years" he said thoughtfully to himself

"Wouldn't it still be four?" Tenten asked "there are five elemental countries after all" she pointed out and Naruto shook his head

"Rain's become isolationist to the extreme, we won't be seeing anything from them for a very long time I'm willing to bet" Naruto told her and she nodded her head in understanding

"I just need some sleep" she said while yawning and Naruto smiled

"Stay here a while then, I'll take you home later tonight, you look like you need to relax" he told her and she nodded  
>"Cheers" she said, raising her glass weakly before taking a gulp of the herbal mix and sighing in relief "always amazes me how you make these things" she muttered and Naruto shrugged<p>

"Just because it's alcoholic doesn't mean it can't do something for you other than make you sluggish and prone to doing rather idiotic and silly things" he told her and she nodded, putting her head back down with her hand still clutching the glass tightly.

The night progressed swiftly on and soon only Tenten and Anko's small group were left, though they eventually decided to leave before midnight as both Hana and Yugao had stuff to do the following morning, and Naruto imagined they did not want to be doing them while suffering from sleep deprivation.

"What about her?" Anko had asked while pointing at the sleeping Tenten who had finished nearly half the bottle before virtually passing out.  
>"I'll take her home. Goodnight Anko-chan" Naruto said while waving as Anko walked out of the store. Leaving Naruto to clean up and take Tenten back to her apartment. Not the first, and certainly not the last time he would probably have to do so.<p>

_**The End**_

**Thanks for reading, please do Review, it helps me keep going.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be fine. We've had this discussion already"

"I know but..."

"He'll be fine, it is Naruto we're talking about here"

"Hmm..."

Naruto was standing by the gate the led into the dense forests that surrounded Konoha. The sun was just beginning to creep up past the horizon and the air was still chilled from the night before, so every exhalation produced great clouds of steam that dissipated lazily in the still air.

The last of the stars were steadily being covered up by the warmth of the suns light, obscuring their own chilled silver light of the night.

"Anyway Ten-chan, I need to go" Naruto was saying to Tenten who looked mildly apprehensive while holding her bare arms.

"I know" she replied, rubbing her arms slightly and Naruto sighed

"If your that cold then go put on a jacket" he told her and she huffed while looking away  
>"I wanted to say goodbye to you" she said and Naruto smiled warmly, kissing her on the cheek before double checking to make sure he had everything he needed for the week long trip there.<p>

"Don't get lost" Anko teased Naruto who smiled at her as well

"You know my sense of direction is better than yours" he pointed out and she pouted before he kissed her on the cheek as well

"You going then?" Tenten asked as he hauled his bag onto his back

"Yep, need to get going otherwise I'll never get there" he said and she hugged him, he hugged her back before hugging Anko as well, who looked a little flustered at the show of affection

"Have you got everything?" she asked and Naruto looked at her blankly for a moment, making her uncomfortable

"Of course I do" he said before grinning "though it's nice to know that you worry" he said and she blushed

"Of course" she muttered as Naruto grinned brightly

"Well then, I've wasted enough time here. I'll see you two lovely ladies when I get back, hopefully in one piece" he said, muttering the last part under his breath as he turned and strode out of the gates, giving the two guards a slight nod as he walked past. They just nodded back while Tenten and Anko waved after him. He waved back before getting going properly.

This early in the morning the forest on either side of him was shrouded in mist that seemed to cling to the ground, unmoving in the face of the suns light that filtered down through the forest canopy. He soon stepped off the main path to walk through the forest proper; he missed doing this as he had so often when he had first been starting his shop up.

In the early days he had been forced to trek for weeks at a time to meet merchants and suppliers who would be able to provide him with what he needed. Though even now his only regular suppliers were the ones who provided the sake and the like, otherwise he went with whatever was cheaper at the time. He had been to Wave twice in those journeys; a busy hub of trading it had been quite the sight to see. Objects and goods from all over the world arrived there, and the place was not even that large for a trading centre, but that was mostly due to the lack of a bridge connecting it with the mainland, it meant that most of the boats one saw there were simply stopping off to replenish supplies and the like, as it was cheaper to simply sail on to the next harbour on the mainland and offload there.

He had enjoyed himself quite a lot in that place, despite the difficulty of getting there it had still been a good place to visit and the people were certainly more hospitable than some of the other towns and villages he had had the misfortune to visit.

However the rumours surrounding the once bustling town painted a dark picture of a place run by bandits who were under the thumb of a power hunger megalomaniac called Gato. The man used to run a shipped business, but it looked as though all that money went straight to his head while he was making it, so he brought an army of mercenaries and bandits to make the town a living hell for any soul unfortunate enough to still be there when he finally took full control and began hoarding the wealth of an entire state.

Naruto shook himself free of such thoughts, feeling the comforting weight of his custom machete at his side as he continued to make his way through the misty forests, feeling a faint sense of nostalgia as he did so.

However the roads are never deserted, even this early in the morning. Not two hours into his journey he made out the shape of several bandits, two men and a woman, all waiting at the edge of the tree line for an unarmed traveller. Well it would not be polite to disappoint them.

"Halt traveller" one of the men said, a snake tattoo on the arm he raised to stop Naruto who watched him with a raised eyebrow. The second man took position next to his leader but the woman was nowhere to be seen.

"Good morning" Naruto replied, inclining his head slightly "am I right in guessing you want my stuff?" he asked and the man smirked

"You're quite right. Now, use that intelligence of yours, and hand over your stuff without a fight" he said.

Naruto heard the distinctive sound of a blade being drawn from behind him and he sighed before suddenly crouching as he pulled out his own machete

"You really should learn to pick better targets" he told the man before spinning around and catching the female bandit on the temple with the handle of his weapon, causing her to collapse immediately as the two men behind him moved forwards to attack him. He twisted sharply and lashed out, the sharp blade biting deep into the forearm of the leader, causing the man to cry out and pull back instinctively while Naruto jumped back to avoid a wild swing by the other man.

He moved forwards and dodged again before slashing at the man's back, causing him to fall forwards as he tried to pull away before Naruto tripped up the leader who charged blindly at him. He quickly knocked him out as well before looking up as the other man, staggering slightly, came back at him. Naruto jumped back and got his footing before pushing forwards once again and stabbing the man in the gut, causing him to gasp in surprise.

Naruto sighed as he wiped his blade clean of blood and dirt before sheathing it and tying up the two bandits still left alive. He wondered at what to do with them before snapping his fingers and whistling loudly. A messenger bird flew down and landed on his finger. It seemed to be looking at him curiously, as though wondering why he was not a ninja as he tied a message to the birds' leg and sent it on its way.

With a satisfied look on his face he turned back and began walking towards Wave.

On the third day of his journey he saw someone else on the road. It had been almost totally empty since he had begun his journey, without anyone going to or from Wave the road seemed nearly desolate with only the odd traveller and bandit walking or waiting upon it. Many of the bandits seemed to have caught on to what was happening and so had moved onto better pickings elsewhere.

"Greetings" he called out to the man. When the man grew closer Naruto saw that the man looked half drunk and rather tired, eyes that looked ninety watched Naruto from a rapidly aging face. He certainly looked as though he had seen better times

"Good afternoon" the man said, voice rough from drinking.

Naruto sat down on a fallen tree and bade the man to join him. He looked suspicious but soon joined him, sitting next to Naruto who sighed while pulling out some of his rations.

"You coming from Wave?" Naruto asked the man who thanked him as he handed over some bread

"Yeah" the man said, sounding despondent

"Is it really as bad as they say?" Naruto asked and the man nodded. Naruto sighed

"Why are you travelling there?" the man then asked Naruto who pulled out a flask of drink

"There's a shipment that I was supposed to receive a few weeks back. However, obviously, Gato appears to have taken possession of it" Naruto told him while taking a gulp of the herbal drink and shaking his head vigorously as it sudden woke him up with its taste

"Then why are you heading there?" the man asked again and Naruto looked at him while handing over his flask

"I can handle myself. Besides I need this stuff rather urgently" he said and the man grunted "you're travelling to Konoha aren't you. Going to get some ninja protection?" he asked and the man nodded

"It's necessary if I'm to complete the bridge" he said and Naruto hummed

"A bridge? Well I can't say Gato will be too pleased with that" he said while taking his flask back after the man had taken a gulp.

"That stuff's really good. And no, Gato doesn't like it" the man commented and Naruto nodded, putting the flask back into his bag.

"Thanks, made it myself. So you're going to get protection to finish this bridge of yours. Well then I wish you the best of luck, perhaps I shall see you when you return to Wave" Naruto said, groaning as he stood up and stretched, the man followed him

"My names Tazuna. Thanks for the drink, if you want you could try and see if my daughter will let you into our house. Its right at the back of the town, its rather large compared to others so you won't miss it" Tazuna said while holding out his hand. Naruto took it firmly and shook his hand with a smile

"Uzumaki Naruto, maker of various alcoholic things. I'll take you up o your offer and thank you for your hospitality" he said while handing his flask to the man "and take this, it's gotta be better than that sake your drinking" he said and the man smiled while taking it before they both parted ways.

To say the town was a sight to behold would not exactly be a lie. The place looked run down, with dozens of shops and houses boarded up and abandoned, some were even burned, insides gouged by fire that blackened the outside as well as the inside. Several of those had collapsed.

Naruto stood on a small cliff that let him see most of the town. He sat down with feet hanging over the edge and watched the place for a while. Very few people seemed to be moving around and no boats stirred from the harbour despite the high tide. A black cloud hung overhead, a sign of the encroaching storm and Naruto had to wonder at what sense of humour the gods seemed to have. The place looked dismal enough without the sudden downpour that was unleashed from the heavens above.

He stood up and put up the hood of his jacket before moving down towards the town.

He found it difficult to cross, and found himself cursing the fact that he was unable to run or walk on water as the ninja's could. However he eventually found a small boat, or several, and managed to row himself over to the opposite shore. The silence of the air was disturbing. Not even the wind seemed to move here despite the rain lashing the land and stirring up the mud that was the beach where he landed the borrowed craft and moved up to the town.

He found that it looked even more dismal up close. Like the very life had been sucked out of this town, not a soul stirred in the rain, so he was left to his own devices as he climbed the hill towards the back of the town, where Tazuna had said his home was. All around he found marks of violence and desolation, from small stains of dried blood to burned out piles of wood, everywhere was a sign of life slowly disappearing from a place that had once held such vibrancy and brightness.

The house was not so hard for him to find. It was indeed larger than most of the other houses, if only because it was not as crowded as the others were.

It was two floors and built on stilts as it sat just above some swamp like land, near a river that must pass through the forest of trees opposite the front of it. He walked along the wooden panels to reach the front door. He gently pushed it and could feel that it was bolted into place; he found himself sighing before he could help himself. The very nature of this place seemed to be bleeding the happiness out of him as well, though the rain eased his mind slightly.

He found a strange kind of solace in the rain, as though the meetings of heaven and earth lifted his spirits, though the lack of people also helped in that regard, he suspected.

He knocked three times and waited patiently for a response. Looking over the house he discovered it was also in better shape than some of the others, a fact that he found interesting until he remembered that Tazuna was a builder of some worth, so it was likely that he himself had fixed up the various tiles and the like. Though even now Naruto could see it breaking down.

The colours seemed to return to the world slightly as the door was cracked open. Naruto smiled warmly at the pretty face that greeted him a the woman opened the door more fully

"Can I help you?" she asked slowly, caution filling her voice as she looked him up and down. Naruto bowed

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, your father Tazuna-san sent me here" he said and she opened the door

"Is he okay?" she suddenly asked quickly and forcefully, he raised his hands in a placating gesture

"He is quite alright, he should have arrived at Konoha by now" he told her and she relaxed "we met on the road and he suggested I might find hospitality here" he told her and she looked at him hard before opening the door

"Any weapons?" she asked and he handed over his machete

"That's all?" she asked, sounding a little surprised and Naruto nodded

"I'm not a ninja" he told her and she nodded as though answering her own question

"Please come in. Oh, my name is Tsunami" she said while bowing slightly to him and Naruto waved her off

"Please don't be so formal to me. Just call me Naruto if you will, everyone else does" he told her and some of the tension seemed to leave her body as she took his weapons and locked it away somewhere, leaving him standing in the hallway with a soaked jacket.

He glanced around, seeing several pictures on the wall, all of her and her son, but a third person was in those images. A man with brown hair and a bright smile. Naruto frowned to himself but schooled his expression when he saw her return

"Please come this way" she said and led him to their dining room/living room which boasted a fairly large table, the kitchen lay off to one side and Naruto found himself suddenly seated with a warm cup of tea in front of him.

"Thank you very much" he said with a warm smile as he cupped the cup as Tsunami sat opposite him

"So what brings you here, Naruto-san?" Tsunami asked as Naruto sipped at the cup

"Very nice. Oh, a shipment I need got lost here somewhere" he said and she blinked

"Is that it?" she asked with a perplexed expression and Naruto smiled again

"That's about it. Although now that I'm here I realise that perhaps getting that shipment might be impossible" he said with an amused expression and she looked at him oddly

"What now then?" she asked and he looked thoughtful for a moment

"I guess I'll try and find it tomorrow, it should be in one of the docks providing they didn't touch it. After that I guess I'll come back here and make myself useful" he said

"You don't have to..." Tsunami started to say

"Of course I do, it's not in my nature to take something for free after all" he told her with a soft expression and she seemed to be unable to say anything

"T-thank you" she finally said and he just smiled while sipping at his tea.

Eventually the night descended and Naruto ended up eating at a table that felt as tense as the town did. Once they had all finished the young boy that had been sitting with them disappeared without so much as a word of thanks, his eyes had been lingering on Naruto throughout the meal, Naruto had a decent idea of why though.

"I'm sorry" he suddenly said, getting Tsunami's attention

"For what, Naruto-san?"

"For your loss" he said to her seriously "you lost your...boyfriend to Gato didn't you?" he asked and she looked totally shocked as she sat back down

"How'd you know?" she asked in awe and he motioned to several pictures of the wall

"Those images, the three of you were obviously close, however you aren't wearing a wedding ring" he said and she looked at him hard, as though judging him, before sighing and nearly slumping down as she took the seat opposite him once again.

"Yeah" she muttered and Naruto nodded before moving round to her side and gently putting an arm around her

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked her and she seemed to think on it, gently biting her bottom lip as she did so.

"I-I'm not sure" she admitted and Naruto nodded

"That's fine" he said as he released her "I'll see you tomorrow then, Tsunami-san" he said before leaving and making his way to his own room. It was a small affair, but he knew that he was lucky enough to have a room and food, compared to the way some people in this corpse of a town were living.

He sat down on his bed and sighed to himself as he stripped before lying under the pale moonlight and falling asleep.

The next morning he was awake well before anyone else stirred from their own chambers. He stood up and stretched, feeling his joints stretch and pop before sighing, dressing, and making his way downstairs.

He went into the kitchen and fired up the cooker while scouring the cupboards for anything to eat. He eventually found something and set about starting to cook, his trusty bottle of drink sitting next to him on the counter as he moved around the relatively small kitchen.

"Oh" he heard someone say from behind him and he turned to smile at Tsunami who looked a little lost

"Good morning Tsunami-san" he said and she blinked

"G-good morning Naruto-san" she replied and he walked over to her

"Just earning my keep" he told her and she looked at him

"Oh" she said again and he smiled

"Go and sit down Tsunami-san, it'll be ready in a moment" he said while gently turning her around and nudging her towards the table. She took her seat before glancing at him and apparently sighing.

He eventually dished out the food and dug in himself

"This is good" Tsunami said as though surprised and he smirked while looking up at her

"Never had a man cook for you before?" he asked and she shook her head

"None of them could" she replied and Naruto laughed

"Living on your own kinda makes you a decent cook. Either that or eat cardboard for the rest of your life" he said and she giggled a bit, he relaxed at seeing her laugh a bit.

They ate quickly, Naruto leaving a little on the side for the kid when he finally decided to eat once Naruto had left.

"Let me do that" Tsunami said when she saw him tidying up, he looked at her for a moment before sighing

"Fine then, I'll do the washing and you can dry" he said and she smiled a bit as they both got to work.

"Thank you" she suddenly said as they got to work, Naruto looked at her questioningly as he handed her a plate

"For what?" he asked her and she shook her head

"For last night. I-I needed it" she said and he smiled

"Please don't worry about it, I enjoy helping people" he told her and she smiled warmly at him

"But still, thank you. I think, I think that tonight I would like to speak with you" she said and Naruto smiled in return before nodded

"As would I, Tsunami-san" he said and she seemed to relax again, as though tense he might reject her.

"Does your son think I would poison him?" Naruto asked when he saw the food was still on the far end of the table, untouched. Tsunami sighed

"He is...paranoid I suppose" she said, almost apologetically but Naruto waved her concern off

"It's understandable, I was simply wondering" he said as he turned back to the work at hand.

Tsunami seemed grateful for the help, although she still appeared surprised that he was willing the help her. He had to wonder what past experience she had had to make her surprised that people like himself existed.

Eventually, however, Naruto left the house and made his way down to the abandoned docks. Entering them he could see hundreds of crates and many unfinished boats that might never be finished until the country was rid of Gato and managed to rise up and restore itself to its former glory once again.

As such it was easy enough for him to enter the office and find the roster for each and every crate still stored in this place. Most of the still had not been signed for, and so were resigned to sit here and gather dust.

He picked up the small wooden box that carried his delivery and, after signing for it, made his way back up to the house.

He arrived to find everything back to how it had been the day before. Even the kids' meal had apparently been eaten after he had left, which answered his question as to whether or not the kid trusted him.

"Welcome back Naruto-san" Tsunami greeted him as he walked into the house. He smiled and took off his jacket, still holding the small wooden box. Tsunami looked at it.

"That's what you came here for?" she asked in disbelief and Naruto smirked once again before motioning for her to follow him as he put it on the table and took off the lid, revealing the contents.

"Spices" Tsunami asked as she held up a small vial filled with a orange-brown powder inside

"Yep, shipped from the southern islands" he said as he looked through the contents "I should think myself lucky that they're all here"

"Why?" Tsunami asked as she put the small vial back into the box

"These spices are quite rare and rather expensive, especially to the right buyer" Naruto told her while closing the lid and putting it off to one side

"How'd you afford them then?"

"I own a small bar back in Konoha" Naruto informed her and she blinked

"So that stuff you were drinking this morning..." she said, trailing off as Naruto nodded

"Yep, my own concoction. I sell them, so you see why I need these ingredients so badly, without them by stock won't be ready before the Chunin exams start in earnest" he told her and she nodded.

"When did you start it?" Tsunami asked and Naruto hummed in thought

"It opened officially about a year ago now" he said

"Is it good?" she asked and Naruto smirked

"My opinions a little biased in that regard, but yes, I would say it's certainly one of the best bars in Konoha. Unless you count the really expensive ones" he told her

The rest of the day passed by slowly for them; Tsunami waited anxiously for her father to return while Naruto tried to think up various recipes while helping around the house as much as he was allowed by Tsunami. Her child, Inari, would watch but never approach Naruto, despite how friendly his interactions with his mother were. Naruto got the impression the boy was deliberately keeping a bit of distance between them, he suspected it was to do with the boys' adoptive father, for lack of a better term, but did not know for certain.

"Are you okay Naruto-san?" Tsunami asked when she walked into the dining room after the meal was finished. At least Inari had joined them properly that time and not sat as far from them as was possible without actually leaving the room.

"I'm fine" he muttered while writing something down on a piece of paper and tucking it into his pocket before looking up at her "do you want to talk with me?" he asked and she looked down before nodding.

They retired to her room, the largest bedroom in the house where Naruto sat and listened to Tsunami tell the tale of her last lover. About how he had tried to rally the people against Gato and had been executed for it. She cried, screamed and shouted until she was spent and collapsed again Naruto who just sat there through it all.

He sighed as he rubbed her back soothingly, making sure she was actually asleep as he face the open window. Feeling the cool air of the night drift in under the cool silver light of the moon and all its tiny companions filled him with a sense of calmness that made him yawn.

He shifted Tsunami so she was comfortable and wrapped up in her bed sheets. However he did not make a move to leave her room, he knew that he was like a port in a storm for her, a stable point of reference which she could anchor herself and let out all the things boiling underneath that placid mask of hers.

So he lay next to her, not touching, and drifted off to sleep himself, wondering what the next day would bring.

He awoke the following day with the distinct impression that something was not quite right. Looking down he found that Tsunami had managed to untangle herself and then hold onto him during the night.

As a consequence he could not move, though he should be thankful she had put the two of them into a compromising position. The last thing he needed was Inari thinking he was going after his mother. He certainly did not need that hanging over his head, he was eighteen after all, and owner of a popular bar. He had things to do before then.

He sighed and rubbed his face before gently extracting himself from her grip and making his way downstairs. The house was silent with its two permanent occupants asleep, only birdsong could be heard on the breeze and everything seemed quite peaceful. However Naruto could not shake the feeling something was wrong, it almost seemed too tranquil.

He decided to get started on breakfast rather than dwell in his thoughts, lest he become melancholy and not wish to do anything.

Part way through the morning he was surprised to hear a loud knock on the door. Frowning he removed his machete from where Tsunami had placed it, she had showed him its pale yesterday, but kept it hidden for Inari's sake.

With the blade hidden he opened the front door. The two men in front of him were clearly surprised to find him standing there

"Can I help you?" he said crisply, but not un-politely. The two men glanced at each other before grinning viciously

"Is your lover home?" one of them asked rather crudely and Naruto frowned, his hand resting under his unbuttoned shirt on the handle of his blade.

"If you are referring to the mistress of the house then, yes, she is here" he told them and one of them made a move to step forward but Naruto blocked him

"We just need to speak with her" the other one said and Naruto frowned

"My apologies, but she's asleep" he said

"Then we'll go wake her up" the other one said, moving to step past him only to suddenly find Naruto's blade at his neck

"Don't move" he said, tone suddenly shifting as he watched the two of them

"Man's got guts" the one at the edge of his blade said as the other grinned and pulled out his own blade

"Let's find out" he sneered and moved forwards, swinging his blade rather wildly at Naruto who calmly kissed the man in front of him before dodging the oncoming blade and slashing the man's arm, cutting deeply into the muscle before grabbing him and throwing him into the water beneath the house.

He calmly lifted the blade and sent it into the water. A few moments later and the water began to dye red and the handle of his blade appeared. He pulled it out and threw the other body in as well before walking back into the kitchen and continuing with the food.

A little while later Tsunami appeared. She blushed when she saw Naruto and did not say anything

"Good morning Tsunami-chan" Naruto said and she blushed at the new suffix

"G-good morning N-Naruto-kun" she replied

"You feeling better?" he asked and she took a breath before answering

"Much better" she replied with a relaxed smile that made him smile as well

"I'm glad" he told her while giving her the food as the both sat down and started to eat.

"Oh yeah Naruto-kun" Tsunami suddenly said "I heard a knock earlier, who was it?" she asked and Naruto stopped eating for a moment to debate whether to tell her the truth of not.

"Some bandits" he replied at length, causing her to pale slightly

"What did they..." she trailed off, unable to finish as Naruto picked up

"Don't worry" he told her while taking her plate as well as him "I took care of it" he continued while walking into the kitchen and putting the plates into the sink as she followed him

"...Did you kill them?" she eventually asked and Naruto nodded

"It was the logical thing to do" he told her

"How?" she asked, looking curious rather than scared

"I'm around ninja's a lot; and my life has been less than rosy. I've killed to protect myself before, and it's not that great a step to kill to protect others" he told her and she nodded but did not say anything for a while.

"Thank you" she eventually said at length and Naruto just smiled at her

"Don't worry 'bout it" he told her before they got started for the day.

The day once again passed by in a fairly monotonous way with none of them really having anything very much to do but sit back and wait. Naruto spoke with Tsunami some more until eventually night fell and they retreated to their own bedrooms.

The next morning found Naruto sitting with Inari alone at the dining table. Tsunami was still asleep and was not likely to wake up for the next few hours, with Naruto's help she had more time to relax and seemed to be spending that catching up on any lost sleep she had from the months of constant stress and worry and emotional baggage.

"You hungry?" Naruto asked carefully as the boy sat sullenly across from him. The boy hesitated and then nodded "alright then" Naruto said as he stood up and moved into the kitchen.

A little while later and Naruto handed him some food

"Thanks" Inari muttered as he started to eat. Naruto ate his own food as well as the tension seemed to grow in the space between the two of them.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Naruto asked bluntly and the boy nearly choked before looking up at him

"What?" he asked, sounding surprised

"Do you wanna talk?" Naruto asked again and Inari looked unsure "your mother told me what happened" he said softly and Inari looked a bit shocked before becoming subdued.

"Why?" he asked and Naruto leant back on his hands

"Why what?" he asked in return

"Why did you help us yesterday?" he asked and Naruto raised an eyebrow

"With the bandits?" he asked and Inari nodded "it was the right thing to do" he replied

"But you'll die" Inari said, vice becoming thick as he held back tears

"I'm still here, besides I can't run. Not now I know what's going on" he said and Inari looked up at him, eye shining

"Why?" he asked loudly "you can't win" she choked out and Naruto sighed

"I can't by myself, no" he told the boy truthfully "but with some help, who knows?" he replied while shrugged

"Why're you so calm?" Inari then asked, sounding a little calmer himself

" Because I'm in no danger at the moment" he replied

"How can you even know?" Inari asked and Naruto sighed

"Like I told your mother, my life hasn't been a bed of roses either. Someone always has to suffer for another's happiness. At least if that happiness is material in nature" Naruto told Inari who was listening intently to each and every word "but, Inari-kun, in this world I think there are two types of people. Those that sit back and let things happen and deal with it; and those that do something about it" he explained while looked serious

"But...you might die" Inari pointed out again and Naruto smiled warmly

"We're all going to die at some point" he pointed out "anyway surely one life is worth the life of a thousand others?" he said and Inari sat back, looking thoughtful "anyway, your father was a true hero to these people here. There are too few people like that in the world these days, so honour him" he said before standing up

"Where're you going?" Inari asked and Naruto smiled

"To go wake up your mother, her breakfast is getting cold. Besides, those ninja's will be arriving tomorrow. Might as well get ready" he said while stretched

"Are they strong?" Inari asked and Naruto hummed

"I hope so. Otherwise this is going to be quite the struggle" he said while walking up the stairs

"As strong as you?" Inari asked, like a child his age. Naruto smiled down at him

"At the very least" he said "anyway, their sensei will definitely be far stronger than me, able to take on Gato's men" Naruto assured the boy who still looked a bit unsure "anyway, we'll see when they get here" he said and Inari nodded while walked off back to his room, where a photograph of his father sat, possibly to think, or possibly to finally say farewell, Naruto really had no idea.

As such the rest of the day was spent making the house spick and span, not that it really could get any tidier, what with Naruto's help and all. However by the time night had come the house looked almost sterilely clean. The three of them were all sat around the table for a meal prepared by Naruto yet again, not that Naruto minded, he certainly felt he needed the practice.

"Thank you for helping us Naruto-kun" Tsunami said to him once Inari had gone off to bed and the two of them were standing outside of her room

"Think nothing of it, please" Naruto said with a smile and kissed her on the cheek before walking over to his own room

"See you tomorrow" he said with a wave before going into his room and falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

The next morning was overcast. A chilly wind blew in for the sea, bringing with it a storm, with all its powerful winds and torrents of rain that lashed the landscape of Wave along with the very town itself.

Naruto was awake at the very first crack if thunder. The sound reverberated throughout the house and awoke him instantly. Storm were one thing he loved about this place more than any other he had been too. Only Cloud, he supposed, could compare to the storms the ocean could produce.

The strorms were another refuge for him in a time passed, now they were a representation of mother natures fury in all its glory, an untamed energy racing across the sky, unchecked by any save for nature herself.

He made his way onto the roof and sat down silently, his jacket hiding him from the worst of it as its fury seemed to grow, as though it could sense something was about to happen. An omen, so to speak, and one he knew Tsunami would not take well.

He sat there for a while, enjoying the deep sounds of the thunder as they rumbled through he chest, and blinding flashes of lightning that accompanied them in kind. But eventually he went back inside, as Mic from getting too wet as the fact he needed to get started on breakfast before the other two got up.

"Good morning Naruto-kun" Tsunami said as he entered the house looking a hit damp

"Good morning Tsunami-chan" he replied

"Why were you outside?" she asked and Naruto chuckled to himself a bit

"I like storms" he told her simply, moving part her and into the kitchen where he got started in their meal.

"It is quite a storm today" she told him and he did not miss the slight note of worry in her voice. He turned around to her.

"It's only a storm" he said gently and she looked at him

"I know...I just..." she trailed off as though unsure how to explain herself.

"I know" he said gently as he hugged her "but your father has a team if ninja's with him. Nothing will get to him, especially their sensei" he told her and she sighed shaky while hugging him back. Eventually he released her and got on with making the breakfast before Inari woke up and made a fuss about Naruto and his other hugging like that.

Eventually Naruto finished with the meal and Tsunami went to go and wake Inari up so they could all eat together. Once that was done the morning passed by quietly, save for the storm outside, raging as though wanting to get into the house.

The storm finally let up later on and the skies began to clear until the sun could finally start to peer down onto the soaked landscape below its gaze. Naruto was sitting outside, having gotten some shopping from the town earlier, as the ninja's would certainly require food, when he finally saw the group making their slow way up to the house.

He stood up and stretched before making he looked at least somewhat presentable.

"They're back" he called out into the house as they finally got to the walkway that led to the front door if the house. He heard the sound of running feet and turned to get the new arrivals.

"Good after noon Tazuna-san, welcome back" Naruto greeted the old bridge builder who smiled brightly at seeing Naruto there

"It is good to be back Naruto-kun" he replied just as Tsunami and Inari came out of the house, Inari hugging the man tightly much to his surprise, while Tsunami held back and watched them with a fond expression on her face.

Naruto then turned to face the team that had been sent to help them. There stood Kurenai with her team, her crimson eyes looking at him with no small amount of shock

"Good afternoon" he said, bowing politely to Kurenai who seemed to come back to her senses suddenly

"G-good afternoon, Naruto-san, what are you doing here?" she asked and Naruto glanced over her team before answering

"I came to retrieve a package of mine" he told her and motioned for them to follow him as he walked in after Tsunami and her father "did you have trouble?" he asked at noticing her limp, and her students exhaustion

"A little" she responded and he narrowed his eyes slightly before sitting down at the dining table, the team sitting opposite him as the family greeted each other next to him

"A jonin?" he asked and she nodded. He sighed and rubbed his face

"We beat him off though" Kiba suddenly said with a grin and Shino, a boy in a high collar coat and black glasses, pushed up his glasses with a single finger. Hinata, a lavender haired girl with the famed all seeing eye, squirmed slightly as Kiba declared that quite triumphantly

"We wouldn't have done it without Kurenai-sensei distracting him" Shino said calmly and Kiba seemed to deflate a little at that

"But we still won" he declared once again with a clenched fist. Naruto ignored him in favour of turning to Hinata who seemed to be trying to hide in her coat from his gaze

"Hyuga Hinata-san" he said, bowing his head a little "I am Uzumaki Naruto, I have already had the...pleasure of meeting your teammates, it is nice to meet you" he said and she stuttered out a reply as he straightened back up

"You say you beat him back, but you did not kill him?" Naruto asked and Kurenai shook her head

"You mean he's not dead?" Tazuna asked, looking shocked

"How long?" Naruto asked Kurenai who narrowed her eyes before sighing

"About a week" she replied and Naruto sighed to himself "my team will be ready this time" she told him as though insulted about his response. Naruto waved his hands in a placating gesture that calmed her slightly

"I' m glad we at least got you rather than Kakashi" he said and she frowned while folding her arms, her dislike of the man written clearly all over her face as she did so.

"So am I" she huffed and Naruto turned to Kiba

"I'm guessing you're the one that got your team this mission" he said and Kiba nodded, looking rather proud of himself as the white puppy atop his head barked in response

"Damn right" he said and Kurenai sighed

"You irritated him didn't you?" Naruto asked and Kiba looked at him as though he did not know what he meant "thought so" Naruto muttered to himself before holding out a hand, causing to puppy to jump to him as Naruto scratched him

"Hey" Kiba said nearly indignantly and Naruto waved him off

"I'm just thanking him. He's certainly better behaved than you at least" he said with a grin. Kiba did not look happy about that particular remark, although his puppy, Akamaru, looking quite happy where he was

"Hey Inari-kun" Naruto called out to the young boy who walked over. When he saw the puppy he broke out into a grin and proceeded to start playing with it, Akamaru seemed more than happy to go along with it, much to Kiba's obvious annoyance.

"Relax Kiba-san" Kurenai told him "he won't get hurt" she told him and he relaxed slightly, though his annoyed expression was still painted onto his face rather prominently.

After a little while Kurenai decided to let her team rest up rather than going into training immediately. Naruto had to admit they looked like they would collapse at any moment and he found himself making dinner almost two hours earlier than normal for the exhausted ninja's at Tsunami's insistence. She had wanted to do it but Naruto had insisted, his pride not letting him back down from his promise.

Eventually, once everyone had eaten and settled in, Naruto was left alone with just the family and Kurenai, the others having gone up to rest for tomorrow

"I see Inari-kun's feeling better" Tazuna was saying as Naruto sat in one corner, flipping through a cookbook, wondering just why he never bothered cooking that much before.

"You can thank Naruto-kun for that" Tsunami said with a smile as she looked over at Naruto who waved to her half-heartedly

"Don't mention it" he muttered as they turned back to one another

"How long's he been here?" Kurenai asked

"About three days" Tsunami replied

"Has he done anything?" she asked and Naruto glared faintly at her

"Telling Anko won't win you anything" he told her and her face twitched slightly, making him grin as he knew that he had hit the nail on the head, so to speak.

"He's helped a lot around the house" Tsunami said before looking thoughtful for a moment "he also dealt with a couple of bandits yesterday" she said and Kurenai looked over at Naruto with a raised eyebrow. He showed her the machete on his belt and she nodded, still looking a little concerned however.

"Really?" Tazuna asked with a look in Naruto's direction as he shrugged as though it was nothing

"Oh yeah" Kurenai suddenly said as though remembering something "there's a bounty waiting for you back in Konoha with Tenten-san" she said and Naruto blinked

"Oh, those guys" he said before turning back to his book while the other three talked amongst themselves.

After a while Kurenai came over to him and sat next to him

"How're you so good with that?" she asked while pointing to his machete at his side and Naruto sighed while closing the book

"I used to need to defend myself" he told her and she nodded in understanding "after that I used to hunt for some food, and then I decided that I might as well get used to wielding it, I was already better than most bandits and I used to travel a lot. Just seemed like a logical choice to me" he explained to her and she nodded while leaning back and sighing, her right leg bandaged up rather well

"Hinata's handiwork" she said and Naruto hummed

"She'd make a good medic" he said and Kurenai looked at him

"You told Sakura-san the same thing didn't you?" she asked and Naruto shrugged

"Maybe I did, I also told her to stop trying to get with the Uchiha, but we'll see if my words have any effect" he told her and she nodded at that.

The next day found Naruto sitting outside on a tree stump while watching the members of Kurenai's team practise. It appeared as though Kiba was being run into the ground while the other two were mainly being left to their own devices to train their own specific techniques.

Naruto watched them with a bored expression as they trained

"You think their ready?" Naruto asked Kurenai who was standing next to them

"Yes" she replied simply and Naruto smirked

"Anko'll have a field day with them" he said and Kurenai frowned down at him

"How'd you know that?" she asked and he glanced up at her

"The same way you do I suspect. She told me" he said and she sighed while shaking her head mournfully

"She needs to keep quiet" she muttered and Naruto waved her off

"She works for IT, she knows when and how to keep her mouth shut. Anyway, it's not like either you or me are going to tell anyone right?" he asked her and she had to concede that he had a point.

"Hey you" Kiba suddenly called out, stopping in his training to walk over to Naruto and Kurenai. Naruto raised an eyebrow at how he had called out to him but said nothing for the moment

"What Kiba-san?" he asked politely and Kiba looked at him hard, almost as though he was searching for something hidden in Naruto's face

"The way you treat that brat" Kiba said, making Naruto raise an eyebrow and Kurenai's eyes go wide "are you his..." he was cut off from finishing as insects suddenly appeared in front of his mouth causing him to cough and splutter while falling back

"Thank you Shino-san" Naruto said with a nod and Shino nodded back briefly

"Shino, what'd you do that for?" Kiba asked Shino angrily

"Saving you" the body replied simply. Kiba looked confused until Shino pointed to Naruto's hand which was resting on the hilt of his blade, one finger tapping it rhythmically

"I am a patient man, Kiba-san, however please do not insult me or those I care about" he told the boy before turning around and marching off inside. Kurenai glared at Kiba and his other teammates almost felt sorry for him...almost.

The following few days passed by in a flash for both Naruto and the rest of them. He helped out at the bridge, carrying around supplies and the like as though they were nothing, much to the astonishment to the other men around him

"Training" was all he would say, and they seemed to accept it. He had to convince several men not to abandon the project, for their sake and their families to be free from this tyrannical rule that Gato had them all under

"But we might die" one of them said to him and Naruto looked at him hard

"We're all gonna die one day" Naruto told him while walking up to him "I'd like to know I die doing something worthwhile" he told the man who seemed to think and then nod to himself before getting back to work.

When asked why he was trying so hard to keep everyone together he simply said that if one of them managed to leave then a snowball effect might take place, and so once he left the others would most likely soon follow, with the project eventually losing the manpower needed to sustain the pace needed to complete it by the end of the week.

The ninja's took it in turns to guard Tazuna and the bridge, though Naruto did had hive doubts as to what the genin would be able to do against a jonin. He suspected they were simply there to scare off any bandits that might fancy themselves some kind of one man army. They did not join in to help but just that there, something Naruto found interesting until realising that Kurenai was mostly likely using this to let them rest from her training.

"So what happened with the jonin?" Naruto asked Kurenai as they sat there under the stars on the roof of the house

"He was a swordsman of the Mist" she told him and he whistled

"That's certainly something" he muttered under his breath

"It was at that. Luckily enough I was able to get him with several illusions before he could really try and do anything, though his water clones definitely proved a challenge for my students" she replied with a sigh and Naruto shrugged while taking a swig of his drink, surprised at himself that he still had some left after so long.

"You can't always protect them"

"I know that"

"And Hinata-san needs to grow out of that shell of hers or her father will end up disowning her"

"I know that as well"

"Then take off the kid gloves. They're all going to have to kill at some point, it's in the job description" he told her and she glared at him

"Their kids" she told him harshly and he glanced at her

"I was a kid when I killed by first man" he told her and she sat back, looking at him hard as he leant back and sighed "anyway, if you aren't going to push them, then you're going to end up like Kakashi" he said and she bristled

"How dare you..."

"I don't mean like that, I mean he lost his whole team and now spends his entire waking hours regretting it" he told her and she sat back

"But they're not ready" she muttered and Naruto grunted while taking another gulp of his brew before offering it to her. She did not hesitate to take a drink herself, sighing at its flavour "good as always" she told him and he smiled at her

"I do try. But you have to train them, Hinata would make a good medic, and I get that Shino is support and scouting while Kiba is the heavy hitter, but you need to round them over a bit. Too much specialisation can get you killed" he told her and she sighed while lying back down on the roof.

"Why do you know this?" she asked and he laughed a bit

"I know this sort of thing because I hang around ninja's too much" he replied and Kurenai smiled at him

"I thought all your friends were ninja's" Kurenai said and Naruto chuckled  
>"I guess that's true as well" he replied<p>

By the end of the week, the day before the fight had essentially been scheduled, Naruto found himself wandering around the forest around the house, looking around for various herbs and the like that grew near the sea, as he knew that he would never find them once he returned to Konoha, and he would rather not have to pay for them if he could help it.

It was here he found the girl, dressed in an almost plain kimono she moved through the woods, eyes glued to the ground. Though Naruto could not help but notice how she moved smoothly, her feet brushing the ground as she did so. He suppressed a sigh at his luck and moved over to her

"Good morning" he said and she swivelled on her heel to look at him with narrowed eyes, her hand darting for a moment to the area where her pouch must usually be.

"G-good morning" she replied, voice soft and her demur changing suddenly at seeing he was merely a civilian

"May I ask what you're doing out here so early?" he asked as he spotted some herbs on the ground and knelt down to inspect them

"Gather herbs" she said while watching his hands touch to herb

"I see; this a healing herb" he said while plucking a leaf from the plant and looking at it "is your friend injured?" he asked and she nodded

"He was injured while fighting some of Gato's men" she replied and Naruto hummed as he watched her face, not a muscle moved to indicate she was moving. Well, a white lie was certainly easier to tell than a total lie.

"I see, well then I should be getting back to Tazuna's house" he said as he stood up. She looked hard at him

"You are with Tazuna-san?" she asked politely and he nodded

"Yeah, I came here to get a package but got caught up helping his family and those ninja's" he told her and she went quiet for a little while, as though thinking about it.

"Tazuna won't live" she muttered and Naruto hummed

"I wouldn't be so sure. Besides, your master won't be beating them this time"

"Will you be there?"

"I will"

"But your only a civilian"

"Those ninja's are my friends, as is Tazuna-san. Besides I don't think you have the heart to kill, your eyes are cold as ice but you seem to kind for such a vicious act"

"You don't know me"

"Neither do you know me. My name is Uzumaki Naruto"

"Haku"

"Well then Haku-san, I will make you an offer. Come back with me to Konoha and you can either work in my shop for a while or go and become a ninja"

Haku looked confused and conflicted

"But Zabuza-sama..." she mumbled and Naruto sighed

"It is up to you, but a man that sees you as merely a tool shouldn't deserve someone a loyal as you. I'll see you tomorrow Haku-san" he said over his shoulder as he walked away, leaving her alone to her thoughts for a little while.

He returned to the house with a troubled mind but quickly shook himself free of such thoughts as he found the three genin all inside, apparently resting before the big day tomorrow

"What did you find Naruto-san?" Kurenai asked him

"Something interesting" he said with a small smile

"What?" she asked and Naruto tapped the side of his nose making her pout and turn away

"Fine then, I'll tell Anko you were being mean" she said and Naruto laughed a little, stepping past her to put the various herbs he had gathered into his bag before sitting back down against the wall and watching the rest of them talk amongst themselves.

The next day Naruto awoke to find that the ninja's had left without him and so he had been left alone to guard the house. He rubbed his face and sighed at their thoughtlessness.

He walked outside and sat on the doorframe with his machete out and his bottle in his other hand, taking small sips of it as he waited for while until he heard the distinctive sounds of objects being cut by a blade, a sound he had heard when Tenten trained often enough. He sighed to himself as stood up to face the two men as they walked up, sickening grins on their faces as they noticed him and held their blades

"What d' we have 'ere then?" one of them said in a gravelly tone and Naruto looked at the two of them

"Go back" he told them and they both laughed

"Not a chance in 'ell mate" the second one sneered before slashing at Naruto who ducked and brought his own weapon to bear, slashing the man across the stomach, causing him to fall back in shock as the other one growled

"We only wanted the chick" he told Naruto and he looked at him levelly

"Well then, I guess you won't be getting her" he said and the man roared in pure rage and lunged at Naruto who did not more, raising his machete above his head he let it fly, watching as it imbedded itself into the man's chest. He choked and then fell flat on his face, driving the blade in the rest of the way as he groaned and then went still and silent.

He looked over at the other one that was slowly crawling away while clutching at his bleeding wound across his stomach. Naruto turned the man over and pulled out his blade before walking over and stabbing the man in the back of the neck, killing him instantly before he stood up with a sigh

"That was so cool" he suddenly heard and looked up to see Inari grinning down at him. Naruto smiled and waved before moving the two bodies so they were less obvious just as Tsunami came out and hugged him gently

"Thank you again Naruto-kun" she said and Naruto smiled while hugging her back while Inari made a gagging noise causing the two of them to sigh at his antics

"I'll see you later" he said before turning his attention back to the road and taking off at a run towards the bridge.

He found the bridge clouded over in a thick mist from which the sounds of fighting could be heard at one edge of the bridge, while at this end there was totally silence, though he got the impression of two dangerous animals circling each other if the amount of KI was anything to go for. He sighed and took another swig of his drink before walking into the dense fog.

_**The End**_

**Please Read and Review. **

**Also please do tell me who you want Naruto to go with, otherwise I'll go with Tenten.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The mist left a faint trace of moisture on Naruto's face as he stepped forwards into it and sat down near to where the two jonin's were battling it out. The mist was slowly but steadily being cleared as the Mist jonin's concentration became more and more directed at staying alive inside of Kurenai's illusions.

"What the..." he suddenly heard as he took another swig out of his silver canteen that he had gotten back from Tazuna. He looked up to see Zabuza and Kurenai both looking at him through the mist with shocked looks on their faces

"Hey" Naruto said cheerfully as he took another drink

"I could've sworn I got them all" Zabuza muttered and Naruto nodded sadly

"You did, but I can't stay" he said while standing up

"What're you doing here Naruto?" Kurenai asked seriously and Naruto shrugged

"One, I just stopped some bandits form getting at Tsunami and Inari, second, I'm here to talk to Haku" he said and then slipped back into the mist, leaving the two jonin's restart their fight.

The deeper he moved into the mist the more oppressive it appeared to become until all that could be heard was the clashing of steel against steel, and the unmistakable sound of steel sinking into pliable human flesh, followed by either a cry of pain or a grunt, acknowledging the pain.

He stepped further until out of the mist rose a dome built of many ice mirrors. He could see Kiba and Shino inside of it, looking all around them as they had been peppered with needles, many more lay on the ground where they had been pulled from various wounds that were slowly bleeding. Akamaru was laid out on the ground whimpering, and Kiba seemed to be filled with an indescribable rage, and it was obviously taking all Shino had to keep Kiba from just blindly lashing out at the many reflections.

He stood outside and watched again as needles seemed to blur out of thin air and fly towards the two genin's in the centre of it all. He frowned as Shino threw up a fallible shield of tiny insects, but the needles just passed right through them and impaled the two genin once again. He took another swig out of his canteen before tipping it up and realising it was empty.

"Crazy ninja's" he muttered to himself as he threw the canteen it, watching as it was impaled by half a dozen needles, the strange sound attracting everyone's attention towards where he stood just outside of the shield of ice, twirling his machete in one hand as he watched the scene unfold

"Uzumaki?" Kiba gasped and Naruto just smiled at him

"That's me" he said as he stepped into the dome, much to everyone's shock, including Haku's.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him in a harsh voice that seemed unsuited to her gentle features

"To talk" Naruto told her and she narrowed her eyes at him

"I do not wish to kill you Uzumaki-san" she said and Naruto nodded

"I know, but I doubt you'll kill me anyway"

"You'll gamble your life on that?"

"Of course I will. I would let you carry on, but unfortunately we don't have a lot of time, and these two" he said while gesturing to the two genin's behind him "need to be still standing when they arrive" he said and they all looked at him a little confused

"What are you talking about man?" Kiba asked and Naruto sighed

"Gato will be here soon, with an army of thugs I'm willing to bet" Naruto told them all and they all frowned except for Kiba who looked at him oddly

"Seriously man? Where'd you get that from?" he asked with an amused tone and Naruto hummed to himself

"It's really quite easy, men like that won't want to pay Zabuza the amount he was promised. As such he'll wait for us to kill off each other and then step in to finish us off, a good plan all things considered"

"Your reputation for perception appears accurate" Shino suddenly remarked, shifting his glasses as they all looked at him for a moment

"So Haku-san, I will ask you once again if you will continue to serve" Naruto said while turning back to the numerous reflections. Haku just frowned down at him, though it was hard to tell with her face hidden behind the mask

"I cannot abandon my duty" she told him stiffly and Naruto sighed

"Zabuza will not win against Kurenai, illusions are a truly rare thing for ninja's to encounter, and I'll be surprised if he's used to them" he told her and she frowned

"I will save him then" she remarked and Naruto frowned to himself. As much as he was perceptive he just could not see a way out of this stalemate that seemed to have arisen between them.

"Then save him" he said and the other two looked at him incredulously "but then make up your mind, stay with him or come with me?" he asked and she looked conflicted again so he sighed and looked out into the mist where the sounds of fighting had died down.

"Here we go" he muttered and in an instant the ice dome had shattered and everyone was running to the opposite end on the bridge. Naruto let fly with his machete the moment he could make out shadows. It struck something and seemed to ricochet off of it.

They arrived to find Kurenai breathing hard but relatively unharmed, while Zabuza was covered in numerous wounds, some of them deep, and was having to fight to keep standing. Haku was standing in front of him, having just stepped out from a mirror that had already disappeared back into the water that it had been formed out of.

She glared hard at Kurenai before Naruto stopped them all.  
>"Don't think about it" he told them and they paused to look at him "Zabuza's done, and Haku doesn't wish to kill any of us" he told them and he could see Zabuza trying to look at Haku from where he was on his knees "and besides" he said just as the tapping of a cane began to fill the air and they all turned to the opposite end of the bridge "we've got bigger problems" he finished just as the hundreds of bandits, and their leader Gato, came into view, all looking pretty blood drunk and ready to kill something.<p>

"Well well" the small man said while surveying the scene with a mocking expression "the great Demon of the Mist couldn't even kill off a couple of brats" he said and the crowd laughed in unison.

The whole group turned to face the bandits and readied their weapons as the bandits got ready to charge. Naruto retrieved his own weapon and stood back a little

"You're not gonna join in?" Kiba asked and Naruto shook his head

"I kill to survive or protect, but I won't involve myself in slaughter" he said and sheathed his blade.

The mist had now fully dissipated and they were all standing ready to charge in and fight one another. Gato tapped his stick once and the bandits rushed forwards only to be met with a hail of bugs, kunai and needles that dug into their flesh and felled many before they could reached the ninjas. And Naruto could see that already some were having second thoughts about this particular endeavour

"Can you stand?" he said to the kneeling Zabuza who looked up at him through the blood over his eyes and snorted

"Of course I can" he said viciously and stood up while hefting his own blade and striding out into the fray to meet his foe.

The bandits saw him and charged but they were unprepared for his strength as he swung the blade and decapitated several men at once.

Naruto looked away from it all with a kind of nauseating feeling growing in his stomach. He knew what the bandits would do, and if the ninja's were not there he would also be fighting, but it would take an army of unskilled bandits to do any harm to these particular ninja's, let alone bring them down.

So what should have been a battle turned into a slaughter.

Naruto watched as the bandits spirit began to fracture and then break. Some of them tried to run but were cut down by the ninja's and Haku, whose needles were as sharp and accurate as always, as Zabuza waded through them, like an unstoppable force of nature until he was standing in front of Gato who was so scared he could not move.

Then he grinned, and the man's eyes widened as Zabuza impaled him and lifted him on his blade. Zabuza said something and then threw the man off to one side, not even looking after him; the blade had done more than enough damage to ensure Gato's death after all.

Eventually I ended. The dead and dying lay on the bridge, as the rest of the routed bandit's ran clear of the slaughter that had claimed nearly all of them, their blood soaked the bridge and Naruto was indeed hard pressed to keep from letting his nausea from showing on his face as he watched them all move back. Shino and Kiba looked blank; it was a battle like no other after all, while the others looked as though it was just another day in the office.

Naruto shook his head at that and went forwards to meet them

"What now?" he asked Haku and Zabuza who looked at each other briefly before Zabuza turned to Naruto

"Take her" he said and Haku looked at him in shock

"Zabuza-sama..." she said, obviously wondering if she had done something wrong. Zabuza smile at her, a rather frightening sight with his teeth looking like sharks.

"Go Haku, you were never really cut out for this sort of life anyway" he said before Kurenai stepped in

"We still need to take you in" she said

"No, you won't" Naruto interrupted before anyone could do anything. They looked at him and he looked serious at Kurenai

"Leave him be. No one died, even the builders here are merely unconscious, and he didn't get paid, so it doesn't matter" he said and Kurenai frowned but stepped back. Zabuza looked down at Naruto

"Pretty gutsy for a civilian" he said with that feral grin of his and Naruto looked back evenly

"I'm around ninja's a lot. Besides, the only reason I'm doing this is for Haku" he told Zabuza who grunted and leant back a bit

"Well then, I'll be going before anyone else shows up wanting my head on a silver platter" he said and the ninja's and Naruto moved off to let Haku and Zabuza have a little time for themselves.

Eventually Haku retuned, a little red eyes but looking none-the-worse for it.

"Let's go" she said and Naruto nodded, walking with her as the others took the lead back towards the house. Hinata and Tazuna having been retrieved from somewhere nearby, where they had been told to wait out the fighting. It made Naruto frown but he said nothing to Kurenai who might tear off his head if he said anything more than he already had, he was, after all, just a civilian who had question a military officer in a situation of security. Not that it mattered much to him, Zabuza was not liable to try and do anything considering the fact that Haku was now with them.

So they all went back to Tazuna's house. They were not told who Haku really was, just in case it caused any unneeded tension that no one really wanted to deal with at the moment.

The days passed by and the bridge was finally fully completed. A large party was held in order to celebrate; using supplies taken from Gato's mansion after the ninja's broke open the doors and laid it open to the public, much to their joy.

So sake was plenty, as was good food, and everyone began to slowly but surely drink the night away.

However Naruto was not to be found at the centre of the festivities. He was sitting with Haku of the bridges edge looking out over the black water, so that the boats on its surface seemed to be sitting upon nothingness.

Between them was what food Naruto had managed to snatch from the party before anyone had seen him. That and a couple bottles of sake, his own supply of drink giving run out during the fight earlier that day. Used for liquid courage.

"Were you serious about your offer?" Haku asked and Naruto nodded

"Of course. I need some help anyway" he commented while taking another gulp of the warm sake

"There are easier ways than this" Haku replied with a soft smile and Naruto laughed

"I'm sure there are, however I wanted someone I could trust not to sell me out"

"So you picked a missing ninja?"

"Yep, you're unknown. That and I wanted to help you out of that situation"

"I was happy"

"I doubt that very much, Haku-chan"

"So what now?"

Naruto looked at her before sighing and leaning forwards on his knees. "We're leaving tomorrow apparently, Kurenai has apparently demanded that I do it otherwise she'll make my life difficult"  
>"Could she do that?" Haku asked and Naruto chuckled<p>

"If she got Anko involved, definitely" he said and Haku laughed slightly

"You seem to know some dangerous people" she commented and Naruto nodded

"Don't I know it, however they won't kill me, I'm necessary for their drinking habits" he told her and she chuckled again

"Do you own a bar then?"

"I never told you? Yeah I own a small bar in Konoha, it's rather popular if I say so myself  
>"And you want me to help out?"<p>

"Or go into the ninja program. It's really up to you"

"I think I'll stay with you for a little while yet, at least until I know my own mind again"

"Sounds good"

With that the two of them went back to gazing out over the black sea. The sky overhead was dotting with countless stars, like diamonds scattered across a black velvet sheet. The moon overhead with its eye wide open, staring down on what was happening, as though both interested and pleased with the current turn of events.

"Hey Naruto-kun" someone called out and Naruto turned to see Kurenai coming over.

Haku made a move to leave, but Naruto's hand on her knee stopped her from moving as Kurenai came over and sat down next to Naruto, her cheeks slightly flushed from the amount of alcohol already coursing through her system.

"Coming back with us tomorrow then?" she asked with a smirk and Naruto sighed

"Yes" he drawled and Kurenai smirked again

"Be nice or I'll tell Anko-chan"

"You can tell Anko if you want, but neither you nor her will be seeing anything from my shop if you do" he said

"I don't need it"

"No, but Anko does. So I think I have a little more leeway than you think

"Spoilsport"

"Just because I like having my head where it is, and all my limbs attached, does not make me a 'spoilsport', it makes me cautious and attached to my life" he said as Haku watched the two of them bicker back and forth

"What about Haku?" Kurenai then asked while looking over at the girl who was at a loss for what to say for a moment until Naruto interrupted

"She's gonna work for me for a little while, then we'll see what happens" he said and Kurenai nodded with an unmistakable frown

"Anko won't be happy" she muttered and Naruto chuckled

"Yeah well, neither will Tenten, but I'll deal with that hurdle when I get to it" he said before standing up and pulling the two women with him. "For now, I'm just going to enjoy myself" he said with a grin as he pulled them back into the party, and the lights, and the joy.

So the night was spent drinking, dancing, and having a good time. No one worried about the mess or who was going to have to clean it up later, all that mattered was that they were free and could now enjoy themselves freely.

The next day Naruto was unsurprised to find that he was the only one still conscious after last night's festivities. Everyone else was laid out either on the ground, on tables, or had managed to struggle home to fall asleep in beds. Though as to whether they were their own beds still remained to be seen.

All around him were the remains of food and many bottles of sake, lying scattered around the place, like the aftermath of an explosion in a warehouse full of food and sake.

The mist was beginning to drift away now, and the chill of the morning air was stirring more than a few people from their fatigued sleep, causing numerous groans of pain and the like to sound throughout the crowd. The sun piercing through the light cloud cover also proceeded to force more and more people to full wakefulness as the last vestiges of the mist began to the clear and sun finally made itself known, much to peoples annoyance as they began to stumble to their feet and stumble off in whatever direction their homes might or might not be.

He looked down and blinked at realising that Haku and Tsunami were curled up against him. As much as he thanked the gods that it was not Kurenai; that could get all kinds of ugly with Kiba, and Anko.

Still, this was a rather compromising position, however upon realising that anything he did would wake them up he simply sat there and tried not to think about the aftermath, hoping that his mouth did not fail him and he could somehow talk his way out of something that could very well result in several painful endings for him, including needles and kitchen knives.

Eventually the two women woke up and pulled away from him to stretch and the like

"Good morning Naruto-kun" Tsunami greeted him with her usual warm smile. Haku turned to face them and both women apparently became aware of each other at the same time. Naruto felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of his neck

"Good morning" Haku said formally while bowing and the tension seemed to evaporate, much to Naruto's relief

"Good morning Haku-chan, Tsunami-chan" Naruto said while standing and trying to gain some feeling in his legs again "sleep well?" he asked with smirk and both women blushed

"Yeah" Tsunami admitted and Haku nodded. Naruto just grinned and laughed a little before he looked around to find the rest of the ninja's laid out on the floor, all looking rather asleep for now.

"Well, as my escort is totally out of it for now, I suggest we head back and I'll cook something up" he said and began walking before either of the women could suggest anything else or even think about arguing him out of his decision.

"Wait, where's Inari?" Tsunami asked and Naruto smiled

"I sent him home, he's fine" Naruto told her and she smiled, something dancing in her eye for a moment before it disappeared and they began the walk over to the edge of town where the house sat.

The towns' oppressive atmosphere had dissipated along with the morning's mist, and everything seemed a little fresher and a little less oppressive to the group as they walked through the littered streets. The walls no longer seemed to press in, and there was no longer that lack of apparent colour that Naruto had seen when he had first arrived in this place. With the lightening mood came a sense of hope for the future, and already people were beginning to mill about, picking up the refuges left over from the party and generally working together, laughing and smiling together as they did so.

They eventually made it to the house and walked in. Tsunami went to check up on Inari while Haku and Naruto sent into the kitchen to prepare something.

"Do you always do this?" Haku asked while motioning to what Naruto was cooking and he nodded.  
>"When I'm staying somewhere, I don't like accepting someone's hospitality for free" he told her softly as he searched the cupboards for what he needed.<p>

"What about me then?" Haku asked and Naruto smiled while turning to her

"You'll be working for me, so it doesn't matter" he said and she blinked as though only just realising that, she blushed softly.

"Y-yeah" she stuttered as Naruto smiled while getting everything ready

"Thank you Naruto-kun" Tsunami said as she suddenly entered the room and Naruto smiled at her

"Please don't worry about it" he said modestly as he carried on cooking

"Should we help with anything?" Haku then asked and Naruto fixed her with a look

"Go and sit down" he told her and she did as she was told, as did Tsunami.

Eventually breakfast was dished out, after Inari finally woke up, and they all enjoyed a moment of silence before the mayhem of the day started up all over again.

Eventually, though, everyone was done and the ninja's had managed to drag themselves from their drunken stupors to be ready to leave.

The whole of Wave turned out to thank them and bid them all a fond farewell.

"Thank you for everything you've done" Tazuna was saying as he shook Kurenai's hand vigorously as the others were nearly swamped by other people.

Naruto stood with Haku just away from the crowd, Haku being uncomfortable and Naruto feeling that it was not quite his place

"And thank you" Tazuna then said and strode up to Naruto to shake his hand firmly "for protecting my family while I was away" he said with a big smile and Naruto shook his head

"Please don't worry about it" he said and Tazuna laughed

"I don't think that'll happen, I'll see to it all your orders are pushed through, now and for the future" he said and Naruto bowed slightly

"Thank you very much" he said and Tazuna grinned

"Polite and honest, I knew I liked you for a reason" he said with a grin before walking off to go and thank the others while Tsunami walked up and kissed Naruto on the cheek quite soundly.

"Thank you Naruto-kun" she said, sounding a bit embarrassed

"Please Tsunami-chan" he said with a small smile and a bow "it was a pleasure" he said and she looked around briefly before kissing him again

"You would be a goof father" she said and Naruto blinked in surprise before laughing

"I'll take your word for that, Tsunami-chan" he said with a smile, kissing her and hugging her before stepping back as the ninja's began to walk towards them and back towards Konoha.

"See you later" he called out while waving as he walked off, the rest of Wave also waving after them as they disappeared into the trees on the opposite bank of the river.

They made their way back with a fairly quick pace, surprising the genin at the fact a civilian could keep up with them.

"You going to check your shop first?" Kurenai asked Naruto on the second day, he nodded to her

"Of course. I need to make sure Anko left no victims inside the place for when I open it"

"Straight away?"

"I've been away for longer than I intended, and I don't fancy losing my customer base to another competitor" he told her and she nodded in understanding.

"What about that bounty?" Kurenai reminded him and Naruto looked at her

"I'm really not bothered. Besides it won't do to get a reputation like that, tends to drive away the better paying customers" he said and they looked at him like he was crazy

"It's quite a bit of money" Kurenai told him and he shrugged

"Tenten can have it then or something, she probably needs it more than me anyway" he said as though it meant nothing to him.

"Are you always this uncaring about these things?" Kurenai asked and Naruto nodded the affirmative

"I don't really care for it; I've got other things to worry about anyway. So someone else can take it and I'll carry on as always" he said, aware of Haku watching and listening intently to him.

The next day they finally arrived back at Konoha. The sun was shining high in the sky and Naruto had the impression that he would find Anko lounging in his room at that moment. Not that he minded too much, it was just that he did not particularly like the feeling that she might leave some of her 'pets' in his room, if only to keep him on his toes a little.

"Well, here we are" Kurenai said as they stepped into the village, the genin already heading off in separate directions to do what they needed to, or to report back to their families. Kurenai was to head off to the Hokage with Haku to get her established as a civilian in Konoha. Her lack of criminal record would certainly help in that regard.  
>"I'll see you later Haku-chan" Naruto said as Haku bowed and ran to join Kurenai as they walked towards the tower in the centre of town.<p>

Naruto sighed to himself and walked towards the location of his shop, kind of dreading what he would find inside of it.

He opened the door to be greeted by a fairly normal scene, much to his surprise. Everything looked in order and in the correct place, just as he had left them nearly three weeks ago now; even the tables and chairs were in their right places.

He sighed and took a deep breath of the homely scent before walking upstairs and over to his room. Opening the door he was met with Anko lounging on his bed, reading a book that was no doubt all about inventive torture methods

"Good afternoon Anko-chan" Naruto greeted her, seeing as she was too engrossed in her book to notice him. She looked up, blinked, and then flew over to hug him, making him laugh at her apparent enthusiasm.

"Welcome back Naruto-kun" she replied with a grin and he chuckled at her expression

"Sorry for taking so long" he said and she looked away slightly before he kissed her cheek "and for making you worry" he said and she blushed slightly

"No problem" she replied and he smiled at her warmly  
>"Okay then. What happened while I was gone? Did you scare them all off without violence for once?" he asked with a small amount of shock in his expression and she huffed at him<p>

"I'll have you know that I only broke seven bones this time" she said and he looked at her blankly before shrugging

"I suppose that is an improvement over, what, twelve last time?" he said and she nodded "fiar enough, at least nothing got broken this time either" he muttered while rubbing his chin as she sat back down on his bed.

"Of course not, I'm careful"

"More so now, I did threaten you last time I believe. Something about never setting foot in here again or something?"

"That was unfair"

"You cost me nearly twenty percent of my profit that month to repair everything, I was lucky I had spare cash somewhere"

"I said I was sorry" she nearly shouted overdramatically and he kissed her cheek again

"I know, I'm just saying" he told her as he threw his jacket to one side and opened his wardrobe to change his shirt, unmindful of Anko staring at him.

"I'm guessing you stayed in my bed the whole time then?" he asked and Anko hummed

"I did. It beats my one" she said with a pout and Naruto smiled

"I'll buy you a better one if you behave" he said and she looked at him for a moment before blushing softly

"You don't have to" she muttered and Naruto smiled while putting on his white shirt, straightening it up before turning to her

"Well, you certain earned that reward" he said as he began to move downstairs with her following him

"What is it then?" she asked, sounding fairly excited and Naruto just smiled

"Well that depends on you, I've got some money waiting with Tenten that I could give you, or I could give you free drinks for the next month, since I already promised you a taste of that nectar" he said and she looked rather thoughtful

"Money and reduced price?" she asked and he chuckled a bit

"Knowing me I'll end up giving you free drinks anyway. Fine, let's go see Tenten to pick up this money, then you can stay here or come back tonight for the first batch of those free drinks. And I must remember to buy you a bed like mine" he said and she just followed him, blushing slightly as they walked less than ten paces from his door to enter Tenten's shop.

"Hey Ten-chan" Naruto called out when he saw no one was at the counter. There was a sudden sound of running feet and suddenly Tenten was hugging the life out of him, though that did not stop him from hugging her back  
>"I'm back" he said and she pulled away, looking quite annoyed and he chuckled "and I'm sorry for worrying you" he said and her glare lessened slightly and she sighed before going over to the counter and pulling out a brown envelope and putting it on the counter<p>

"This is what you want isn't it?" she asked and blushed when Naruto pushed it to one side and hugged her again

"Missed you" he said and she blushed furiously, barely stammering out a reply before he let her go and handed the envelope over to Anko who immediately ripped it open and counted through the money.

She whistled. "Whrere'd you get this money from?" she asked and Naruto smirked

"I took out a couple of bandits on my way to Wave. Turned out they were known highwaymen and so I got rewarded for it. Too small time for ninja's and too large for most civilians" he said with a shrug and Anko looked at him before looking smugly at Tenten

"Told you he'd be fine" she said and Tenten glared and opened her mouth

"Didn't stop you from worrying though did it?" Naruto asked before Tenten could unleash a scalding reply, which was not something Naruto needed, having just come back from his trip. He just wanted to relax and get things back to the way they were before all of this happened.

Anko opened her mouth, the closed it and blushed when she realised she could not say anything nasty to him. He smiled at her response and kissed her cheek again

"Well, I need to get back and start brewing these ingredients I spent so long getting. And then open and pray someone remembers my shop after so long" he said and Anko chuckled

"I don't think you'll have to worry Naruto-kun, people were gathering out there nearly every day to see if you were reopened or not" Anko said and Naruto laughed

"Well, what do you know? A piece of good luck for once" he said with a small laugh before walking out of the store before pausing and turning round

"Oh yeah" he said to the two of them "I saved someone, she's ninja trained and she'll be staying with me for now. See ya" he said and then walked out hearing the thoughts finally click in their heads. But he was already safely inside his store as he breathed a sigh and got to work.

It was always tricky when making something as complex of this. The slightest change or mistake in the measurements of the ingredients could totally and complete altar the taste of what he was making. The spices and various herbs, mixed with some base mixtures that had already been prepared before he left on his little venture and the mixture was complete. Sweat was dripping from his brow by the time he finished and he was aware that the table he had been working on was a complete mess of bits of paper, various ingredients and various types of measuring equipment.

He knew that usually he would have to wait at least several years for this particular mix to be anywhere near ready; however he knew a way to accelerate the fermenting process. And for that he was going to need Haku, and would have to pray that her chakra control was as good as he believed it was.

That night was a buzz of activity for Naruto as he got ready to open his store for the first time in weeks. People were already gathering outside and it was surprising to him how quickly word had gotten around town that he was back and opening his store. Some people had been outside for at least an hour and Naruto was having to think on his feet.

He was going to open earlier and close later than he usually would for the next week, both to apologise to his customers, and get Haku used to the environment and long working days that this type of venture generally required. Meanwhile he had also spread the word that every customer got a free drink on him for being late getting back, though the reasons for his late arrival had also spread, much to his embarrassment, and as such he had apparently an even bigger turnout than he had suspected

"What do I do?" Haku asked Naruto. She was dressed in black and white, similar to him, with a black blouse and white trousers that widened at the ankles, covering her feet from view. She stood rather stiffly and was obviously not used to the sort of situation she had now found herself in. Naruto just smiled comfortingly at her.

"Just sit there and look pretty for the moment" he said and she looked at him blankly for a moment. She was a little out of practise with normal human interaction, having been trained nearly constantly since childhood by a mass murderer. They did not exactly make the world's most etiquette conversationalists.

"Fine then" she finally said with a soft pout when she realised that he was teasing her.

"Just see a how it all works and the like, then when you feel ready you can start serving people, though I don't expect that to happen for a while yet" he told her and she bowed slightly

"Thank you for your patience" she said and he laughed while waving her off

"Please Haku-chan, it's the least I could do for you choosing to help me out" he said before straightening up from cleaning the bar

"Alright, let's let this rabble in before they start beating down the door" he said before flipping the sign to open and walking back behind the bar with Haku sitting a little ways from him at the back, watching as the first few people poured through the door with smiles and grins on their faces.

"Hey Naruto-kun" one of them greeted him, a calling repeated by many as they walked in. Naruto smiled warmly back

"Good evening, sorry for taking so long" he said with a faint bow of his head as they arrived at his bar

"Please, we all heard about what you did" the man said, a faint 'yeah' going up from the crowd "just proves your even better than you appear" he said and Naruto chuckled softly

"If you say so. Now then, what can I get you and your lady friend" he said while looking over to the man's side at a beautiful woman who blushed faintly as the man laughed and pointed out several bottles.

So the night began to get into full swing. The atmosphere was as light and friendly as always, the usually silence was replaced by loud conversation, though Naruto had no problem with it, seeing as they were all regulars and at least knew to follow whatever rules he had set, including how loud to get. The air became thick with the scents of perfume, after shave, and as many different scents of alcohol as could fit into the space of the store, a strange but not unpleasant the mix that seemed to suit the atmosphere rather well for how the night was going so far.

Haku sat quietly and watched, enraptured by the numerous people and the atmosphere that the shop seemed to hold no matter how many people entered or left. The numerous conversations and how fluidly Naruto moved between each and every customer, his tone and style changing as fluidly as water changes its shapes when moving between rocks and trees.

"You okay Haku-chan?" Naruto asked as he returned from doing the rounds once again, his clothes not even crumpled considering how much work he was doing

"Y-yeah" she answered and he smiled

"It's a little overwhelming at first, but seeing this many people make's me glad I did this sort of thing" he told her with a smile and she smiled back softly

"Is it always..." she trailed off

"This busy?" he finished for her and she nodded "nope, not usually, it's just that I've been gone for quite some time, and they've apparently all decided to come here tonight. I should just count myself lucky no ninja's have come yet" he told her and she looked at him strangely

"Why?" she asked and Naruto chuckled a bit

"Wait for tomorrow, its a ninja only night, see how the atmosphere changes, then tell me" he said and she nodded while turning her attention back to the crowd as several more people walked in, Naruto heading off to greet them.

"Ah, Tenten-chan, Anko-chan. Good evening" he said with a warm smile as the two women took up the stools in front of him, others giving them some room thanks to their relationship with Naruto.

"Hmm" Tenten said as she cut a glance over to Haku who seemed to stiffen and Naruto frowned

"Don't even think about it" he said to the two of them who looked straight at him "she's working for me and I trust her, so don't, unless you want trouble" he told them and they seemed to understand and settled for ordering their drinks.

"I don't get you" Naruto said as he sat down after a little while, the store was beginning to finally empty slightly, it was nearly midnight after all. "I trust her and yet you two seem ready to give her hell. So what is it? Jealousy?" he asked and they looked at him

"She's a missing ninja" Anko said and Naruto looked at her

"She is not, I double checked. Besides as of today she's a citizen of Konoha" he told them

"But still..." Tenten said and Naruto sighed

"Look, I trust her and she's working for me so I'm letting her stay until she finds her own place" he told them clearly and it seemed to settle the two of them a little.

"Whatever" Anko said as she sipped at her own drink and Naruto leaned a little closer to them

"So Ten-chan, how's the training for the exam going?" he asked her and she frowned slightly

"He's being more difficult that usually" she told him and he laughed at that

"I can imagine, but what about that?" he asked and she looked away while pouting slightly

"I learnt some defensive techniques like you said" she told him and he grinned and resisted the urge to pat her head

"Thank you Ten-chan" he said before turning to Anko

"No way" she said as she sat back a little "you're not gonna get anything from me" she said and Naruto shrugged

"Fine, I wasn't gonna ask you about that anyway" he said and she frowned while pouting

"What?" she then asked and he smiled at her

"How was IT?" he asked and she blinked before blushing slightly as he chuckled

"It was fine" she muttered and he smiled at her

"You know I wouldn't ask about that" he said and she nodded after a moment

"Thanks" she muttered and he laughed a little before standing up again.

"Well, you two can stay here if you want. I need to keep going" he said with another smiled before moving on to deal with some other customers that were waving him over.

Eventually the last of his customers were gone and Naruto finally found a chance to relax as he sat with the three women that were still with him.  
>"Well, this gives the wrong impression" he said and Anko laughed, Tenten frowned and Haku looked a bit confused at his statement<p>

"What?" she asked and he waved her off

"Don't worry 'bout it Haku-chan. This is Tenten-chan and Anko-chan, two very good friends of mine" he said and they greeted one another as he poured himself a shot and took it back in one, sighing as he rested his arms on the counter

"I did say you should take a day off Naruto-kun" Haku mildly admonished him and he waved her off a bit.

"I'll be fine tomorrow" he told her "besides there's stuff to do tomorrow that can't wait. It's only a week until the exams start isn't it?" he asked the other two who glanced at one another and nodded

"About that" Tenten said

"Although the teams will be arriving already to scope each other out" Anko told him as she stared sadly into her bottle, she looked at Naruto who shook his head, causing her to pout "I'll pay" she whined and Naruto smirked

"And it still won't get you anywhere, I'm not that desperate for money" he told her and she pouted while looking away from him

"Fine" she huffed and Naruto laughed

"There's always tomorrow night" he told her before turning to Tenten "so how's the rest looking?" he asked and she frowned

"I don't really know. I don't think my team will fail, but there's meant to be some strong teams coming in this year" she said with a faraway look until Naruto waved his hand in front of her face

"I see" he said with a small smile "I suppose I should be ready for anything then" he said

"Like what?" Anko asked and Naruto looked at her

"It's not uncommon for foreign teams to try and trash bars and the like, either because they've lost or because they think their better than everyone else. Especially if they're from somewhere like Mist or Earth" he told them and they all frowned

"Then..." Tenten started to say but Naruto held up a hand

"I can handle myself" he told her and she frowned again

"I know but..."

"Haku-chan here can probably protect me, if not I've always got my machete and bow, and if not; my cellar is the most secure place here save for the bunkers under the mountains" he told them and they seemed to back down a little

"Fine then" Anko said, though the faint frown did not leave her face

"Relax Anko-chan, I hang around ninja's often enough to know how to deal with them" he said and she frowned slightly

"You mean me, don't you?" she said and Naruto smiled at her again

"You are the most dangerous one here aren't you?" he said and she opened her mouth to reply but shut it again an instant later before huffing and turning away, obviously not sure how to reply to that statement.

"Exactly" he said as he turned to the other two again "well I don't expect too much trouble from the teams I just mentioned, besides it's fairly rare for foreign teams to eat and drink in places like this, people have been poisoned before after all" he told them as he shook the bottle and poured the last shot out from it. Gently swirling the faintly yellow liquid in the glass as he watched it dance in the false light of the shop.

"Guess we won't be seeing too much of each other when that happens then huh?" Anko then said and Naruto smiled at her

"As much as you're in charge of the security detail for the second part of the exam, I somehow doubt you'll be staying away from here for long. Especially with the reduced prices you're paying" he said and Tenten looked at him

"Why only her?" she asked and he chuckled, still watching the glass

"Because she kept the shop safe, when you do something like that I'll give you the same deal" he told her and she settled down a bit

"It's getting quite late" Haku muttered as she looked at the pitch blackness outside the shops windows

"Scared?" Anko teased and Haku raised an eyebrow in response

"Not really. I was apprenticed to a silent killer after all" she said and Anko frowned while sitting back, though Naruto raised his hand before she could say anything about that little comment.

"It doesn't matter" he told her and she frowned but accepted it all the same "anyway" he said as he stood up and stretched "Haku-chan's right, I need to get to bed" he yawned as they all stood up

"Where is she sleeping?" Tenten asked while pointing at Haku who frowned a bit but did not say anything as Naruto debated whether or not to toy with her. He decided not to, an angry tipsy Tenten was not something he was quite prepared to deal with tonight just yet.

"In the guest room" he said and both Tenten and Anko looked at him for a moment

"You never told us that" Anko said and Tenten nodded. Naruto just scratched his cheek

"Didn't I? Oh well, you never asked" he told them and they both glared at him "don't give me that look. Get going, I'm tired enough as it is" he said, his patience fraying slightly.

He appreciated the fact that they both cared, however they were taking it too far and nearly smothering him half to death with it, also he did not particularly like his judgements being questioned all the time, especially when it had never happened before. It was not like he was going to just dive head first into a situation without judging it first.

"Fine"

"Whatever" Anko and Tenten said respectively and Naruto took a breath before he lost his temper with the two of them

"Please go up first Haku-chan" he said pleasantly "I'll be up in a second" he continued and she nodded in understanding, shooting the other two women a glance before making her way to the back of the shop where the stairs were located.

"You two need to chill out" he suddenly said once she was gone, turning to face the two women with a hard expression that very rarely saw the light of day "I've about had enough of you two constantly second guessing me, I can bloody well look after myself. And as much as I appreciate and recuperate your feelings of concern, I don't need you two trying to smother me" he told them firmly as they looked at him with equally hard eyes

"She's an unknown" Anko told him and he shot her a fiery glance

"I am well aware of that Anko; I do not need you telling that to me. I have spoken to her and her teacher, she will not be a problem" he told her firmly "and you don't have a choice but to accept that" he told her and she looked away

"We only care" Tenten said and he glared at her

"I know. But you two are not my minders, so leave well enough alone when I tell you to. I have proven you wrong enough times now" he said as he straightened his jacket and walked open to hold open the door "I'm tired, please leave, I don't want to discuss this any further" he said and they both walked out, a mixture of expressions written all over their faces and in their eyes.

As much as Naruto wished to apologise for what he had said he knew that they all needed to wind down, them more than him, otherwise it might come to blows, or at least a permanent severance of their friendship. He would deal with it later on when he actually felt up to it.

So he moved upstairs and fell into his own bed without bothering to check on Haku, she would understand, and he just needed to sleep for now.

The following morning Naruto was surprised to find himself up at a normal time, considering how long he had been up the previous night, just in time to see the sun beginning to rise above the false horizon of the trees and banish the faint mist that lay in-between them, dissipating like a sigh as Naruto got himself dressed and prepared himself for yet another busy day.

The suns rising had yet to banish the night chilled air, and even some of the stars still held there places in the sky stubbornly, refusing to give in until the last moment. Even so the sky was slowly bleeding to orange and then into blue, revealing its crystal clear colour once again.

The shop was cold, at least on the ground floor and in the basement, he had no need for heating in the basement and the first floor could do without it for the moment.

Naruto found himself shivering slightly as he walked down the stairs, hunching his shoulders and rubbing his hands slightly in an effort to keep as warm as possible; though it was not as bad as some of the more northern countries it still felt pretty cold. So he began the day's chores while he waited for Haku to eventually wake up and realise where he was.

He did not have to wait long to hear the sounds of footsteps coming down the stairs. He dried off his hands and went to meet her by the bar, the stairs behind just behind it, and the 'kitchen' being next to the stairs.

"Good morning Haku-chan" he greeted her with a smile as she stepped down to stand in front of him, her hair slightly dishevelled but otherwise more or less in place. She yawned a bit before looking at him

"Good morning Naruto-kun" she replied

"Hungry?" he asked and she nodded. He made his way to the kitchen and began to pull ingredients from the various cupboards and the like as the smell of food began to gradually drift through the still air of the shop while the various heaters began to slower, but surely, warm it up from the night chilled temperature it had settled at.

"Thank you Naruto-kun" Haku said as he put her meal in front of her before sitting down himself and beginning to eat.

He took a moment to think about what he needed to do before next week, and realised that he did not have that much to do anymore save for making sure that his shop looked as presentable as always and that he did not have any brawls occurring in it. He had already warned several ninja's that if they started anything he was shutting it down for all ninja's, turning it into a full civilian bar instead, needless to say they had not been too happy about that, and so they tended to keep each other in check without Naruto interfering, which he was grateful for.

He looked over at Haku and wondered just what he would have her do; he was so used to doing everything himself that it was a little bit of a shock to the system to finally have some help to assist him now. Though due to last night he was even more grateful, he knew that he would not be able to get everything done before this night without her help.

"So Haku-chan" he then said as she finished up her meal. She looked up at him. "I'm going to need your help with a few things today" he told her and she nodded

"It's the least I could do" she replied and he smiled gratefully as he picked up their plates and motioned for her to follow him.

They walked into the kitchen where she leant against the counter as he washed up the last of the stuff

"I need you to dry this stuff up, first of all" he said to her while motioning with his chin to the piles of drying up that needed to be attended to

"Do you want me to put it away as well?" she asked and he shook his head

"I think I'll need them tonight and anyway, I doubt you'd know where everything went at the moment" he said and she nodded, looking a bit embarrassed as he finished up and dried off his hands

"What else?"

"Well, I'm gonna need your help with a little project of mine a little later, but that can wait. Other than that I need you to wipe down the tables"

"What're you going to do?" she asked almost innocently, though the glint in her eyes revealed the thoughts in her mind as Naruto smiled disarmingly at her.

"Please don't worry Haku-chan. I need to go and speak to several suppliers, place some orders, and then I need to put about half of this glassware away"

"Why half?" she asked and he hummed while walking back to the bar area

"Well, tonight is a 'ninja only' night, and so there'll be fewer customers. Though they'll definitely drink more, but as such I won't need so many glasses"

"You have ninja only nights?" Haku asked in confusion and he smiled at her again

"They don't usually like having civilians near them, especially the more elite few that come through here. Though it's not them that I'm worried about" he explained, she looked at him curiously but he shook his head a little as he pulled on his jacket.  
>"How long will you be gone, Naruto-kun?" Haku asked as she picked up a cloth from the counter and Naruto looked at his pocket watch for a moment before looking thoughtful.<p>

"Only about two hours at the most, if anything happens then tell me if you can, don't let anyone in, unless it's me of course" he said and she nodded

"Why the warning?" she asked and he smirked at her as he kissed her cheek, making her flush in embarrassment

"Because I've had quite a number of people try to break into here to get at my stuff. See you later" he explained before walking out of the shop.

Outside the air was colder still, although by this point the sun had risen beyond the horizon and was now quickly banishing the last of the cold air as its light warmed the land once again. Meanwhile various people and merchants were getting ready, milling about both inside and outside of their various shops as they readied themselves for another day of trading.

Some waved or smiled at Naruto as he made his way to one of his traders, he replied in kind as he walked, feeling the cold air wake him up more than usually. This was most likely the only reason that he did not need coffee for the mornings. The nights were another matter, especially if they were anything like last night.

He arrived after a few minutes and saw that the shop was closed. He just shrugged and walked in without too much of a problem, it would not be the first time after all, though he was careful to be quiet. Some of the stories he had heard about the mistress of the house made him think that she was a carbon copy of Anko in some ways. Not that he would ever tell her that, he did value his life after all.

So walked up to counter and tapped it thrice fairly soundly as he listened for the telltale sounds of someone moving around the shop.

Suddenly Ino appeared, looking quite groggy but otherwise awake. Naruto looked her over before smiled at her. She was wearing what must have been her pyjamas, with a large white shirt and loose grey bottoms.

"Good morning Ino-chan" he said and she blinked at him while rubbing her eye before turning around and walking off, leaving Naruto a little perplexed about what had just happened, though no doubt she would realise later on.

"Good morning Naruto-kun" Inoichi said as he then appeared, pulling off a pair of gloves as he walked up to the counter "how was your trip?" he asked with a small smirk and Naruto shook his head in amusement

"It was interesting, and that's all I'll say on the matter" he said while putting some money on the counter

"What is it?" Inari asked as he counted the money out, it was a fairly large stack of bills after all.

"I need more supplies" Naruto told him and Inoichi nodded

"Chunin exams right?" he said while heading into the back of the shop

"Yep. By the way, what was with Ino-chan just then?" he asked and Inoichi looked at him strangely as he came back in

"Ino-chan?" he repeated and Naruto nodded

"She seemed quite out of it" he said and Inoichi smiled proudly

"She's been training a lot" he said and Naruto smiled, knowing how the man got when he started talking about his daughter

"Really?" Naruto asked with a smile as Inoichi put a bag on the counter. Naruto opened it as the man replied

"Yeah, apparently her 'rival' Sakura started training so she stepped her own regime up"

"Oh, well now that's a surprise, abate a pleasant one" Naruto said as he looked through the bag, filled with various herbs and some of the more common spices Inoichi had started growing since Naruto became a customer.

"What do you mean?" Inoichi asked as Naruto took the bag in one hand

"I spoke to Sakura a little while ago about improving herself; it's nice to see that she actually paid attention" he said before bowing his head slightly "thank you" he said as he turned to walk out of the shop

"See you later" Inoichi called out just as Naruto heard the sound of footsteps nearly running down the stairs. He disappeared before Ino could catch him; angry women were not his forte early in the morning.

He arrived back at the shop in time to see Haku finishing up with the last of the tables. He smiled at her as he walked in

"I'm back" he said as he put the bag down next to the door leading down to his basement

"Welcome back" Haku replied with her own smile as she sat down with a small sigh

"Hard work?" he asked her and she nodded, he chuckled slightly

"You'll get used to it, so don't worry" he told her and she looked at him incredulously and he just laughed.

"Is that all?" Haku asked when she saw the bag and Naruto shook his head

"Nah, I've got some more deliveries to take, and that's what'll take me so long, the damned paper work" he told her and she nodded as she stood back up and walked off into the kitchen

"By the way" she called out, walking back in while drying off a glass "what'd you mean by a 'project' in your basement?" she asked and Naruto laughed at her serious expression

"It's nothing bad Haku-chan. It's just a little experiment I've been meaning to try out, but I've always lacked the necessary stuff in order to do it" he said and she blinked

"So why do you need me?" she asked and he smiled

"Because of something you can do, and very few other people can"

"What, make ice?" she asked and he laughed before suddenly looking thoughtful

"Wasn't what I meant, though it's certainly a good idea" he said, more to himself than Haku, before looking at her with warm eyes

"No, not ice, you'll find out later if I'm back in time. Though knowing my luck I might just be able to get back before we need to start preparing"

"For the evening?"

"Yep, but anyway I'll see you later, and don't touch anything I haven't told you too" he warned her playfully before walking out once again into the busy street.

_**The End**_

**Thanks for Reading and Please Review.**

**I will ask once again who do you want Naruto to go with. **

**So far I have Haku and Tenten as the main contenders, please do tell me, it does help.**

**Aside from that Thank You once again and have a nice day.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"So, this is the secret"

"Yep"

"What no one else has figured out?"

"Probably"

"I see"

Naruto was standing with Haku outside the shop, where they had, in vain, tried to fix up the front door that had been broken off in a brawl the previous night.

Dawn was just starting to break, throwing long slanting rays across the cloud-whisped indigo sky. The fainter stars had long since been submerged in the growing sphere of light as it rose above the horizon, until only a handful still twinkled above them in the heavens.

Naruto took a look around the empty streets and resisted the urge to sigh so early in the morning. It was looking to be another difficult day for him and for more than one reason as well.

Anko and Tenten had not turned up the previous night, as he had suspected, though he did feel some kind of guilt eating away at his innards he knew that going now would only aggravate them more and make reconciliation that much harder when it came round to it. He was not a man who held grudges for long, but while he might forgive, he certainly never forgot a transgression against him, as several people had found out when trying to enter his shop, having been a few who had tormented him when he was younger.

Regardless, the door was broken which was another expense, and one he would certainly be sending a petition to the council about, though whether they paid it any mind was, of course, another matter entirely.

He turned away from the busted hinges and scratched his chin in thought for a moment

"Don't bother then" he said and Haku looked at him "I'll need to replace the bloody frame, that'll be an absolute joy I tell you" he muttered sarcastically and Haku smiled at him

"Why not get someone else to do it?" she pointed out and Naruto sighed

"That's expensive and I'd rather know it's been done right" he told her while leaning the door up against the side of his shop

"You're a carpenter now?" she asked teasingly, though her voice was still very soft. Naruto laughed softly.

"Not exactly, but I did many of the fittings you see in the shop, this place was run down and desolate when I got hold of it"

"Why?"

"The original owner had gone out of business due to bankruptcy and so he called in some friends to strip the place bare and sell of the parts to pay off his debt. From what I hear it worked for a little while, the guy liked to gamble"

"What happened to him?"  
>"Hell if I know, but he's no longer in Konoha and that's good enough for me, never liked him very much"<p>

"I thought you liked everyone"

"Very funny Haku-chan, now come with me, I want to get this process out of the way and done with before our visitors arrive"

"What visitors?"

They walked into the shop and Naruto hummed to himself as he unlocked the door to his basement and walked down with Haku following behind him, feet tapping against the cold stone as they descended until they finally stood in the large open space that housed many of Naruto's various experiments and the like.

"Wow" Haku muttered as she moved around while looking at the various bottles and the like that she saw.

"Thank you" Naruto responded while watching her, letting her do her own thing for the moment "but the real wonder is over here" he said while moving over to a metal cabinet that was locked tight

"That's...a lot of security" Haku said softly and Naruto nodded

"Well see that's a funny story. All of my drinks have nicknames"  
>"But no names" Haku interrupted him and Naruto smirked while nodding<p>

"Exactly. Do you know what the nickname for this particular drink is?" he asked as he revealed it to her, the bottle hiding the liquid from sight.

"No" she replied with a slight raising of her eyebrow

"Lifewine" he told her seriously and she frowned

"Why?" she asked

"Not because it can bring people back, that's impossible. No, see it earned its name when a man in the hospital was about to slip into a coma due to a disease. He paid me to make a drink, as he had been quite the wine taster when he had been young, so I gave him this" Naruto told her

"And it brought him back?" Haku asked and Naruto smirked

"Not quite, however suddenly the disease went into remission. Of course the man said that it was the most fantastic thing he had ever tasted. Therefore it became known as Lifewine, a drink so rich that it's brought men back from the brink for one last taste" he told her and she looked at him before looking back at the drink

"Fair enough" she said and Naruto laughed

"Well, whatever the truth I still need your help" he told her

"Why?"

"Your medical chakra, it accelerates the metabolism of cells doesn't it?" he asked and she nodded

"Of course" she told him and Naruto smirked

"It also speeds up enzyme reactions. And that is what wine needs, various reactions" he told her and her eyes went wide

"So you can speed up the process of fermentation" she muttered and Naruto nodded with a smile

"And so rather than taking ten or so years I can have it done in a matter of hours. Assuming the chakra supplies big enough of course" he told her

"How olds this one then?" she asked and he hummed

"I think it's about a year old now, I've got another that I made only last week, but this one's for our next customer" he told her

"You're not going to tell me who it is are you?" she asked with a slight frown and Naruto laughed softly

"Not yet Haku-chan" he said and she huffed before her hands started glowing green  
>"Fine then. Hand me the bottle" she said and he smirked while handing it over as green chakra surrounded it and began to work its magic. He sat down on a stool and watched her.<p>

"What are the rest of these things then?" Haku asked and Naruto looked around at the various bottles with strange symbols and the like on them

"Experiments" he told her and she looked at him with a faint glare, he just chuckled "various things, I'm always trying to make the next best thing, of course the Lifewine is the pinnacle of that but the others can always be improved and the like" he told her "it can take a while, but usually they yield something of value, if not immediately then at least it helps me know where I went wrong and the such" he said and she nodded as a single bead of sweat ran down her forehead

"How long do I have to do this?" she asked and he blinked

"Well...given the fact that you have normal chakra and all that jazz, and your just pumping it in without any sort of focus...I'd say another hour or so" he said with a smile as she looked at him incredulously

"Really?" she asked and he nodded

"It'll be done at that point I think, though I will certainly be trying it before I give it"

"Not to our customer?"

"No, they're getting the one I've already got upstairs, this one is going to a friend of mine and then the other will be used to replace the one I'm sell upstairs"

"It must be worth a small fortune"

"It is, the herbs and spices are not exactly cheap, and neither are the grapes that form the basis of it, then you have to take into account the amount of time it's been brewed for, all of that added together comes to a rather staggering figure, but they'll pay it"

"Is it like a drug?"

"Not in the sense that it's addictive, nor does it ruin other drinks for you, it's just very, very rich, that's all"

Haku nodded and concentrated again while Naruto watched her and dreamt up yet another mixture that could yield him some major profit, and be enjoyable at the same time.

Naruto walked down the stairs with a sigh to find someone in the shop. Haku had used up a little too much of her chakra and so he had confined her to her bed until further notice, it wouldn't do for her to collapse in the middle of serving someone or something like that. Especially since that night was supposed to be one of the busiest for them, with it being the only other night that civilians would be allowed in because of the various repairs that would need to be made to the shop, the preparations for the exams and therefore the reception of foreign visitors, and finally because once the other teams arrived shops like Naruto's became favourite hangouts of such teams.

"Ah, good morning Uzumaki-san" the man called out to him. Naruto looked over and resisted a sigh as he walked over and bowed briefly

"Hokage-sama" he greeted the man formally, ignoring the two ninjas flanking him

"I have heard that you make some of the finest drinks I town" the aging man said and Naruto straightened up

"I might at that" he responded as he walked to the cabinets behind his bar "but that depends on what drink you want" he said and the Hokage smiled at him.

"What about this drink called 'Lifewine'?" he asked and Naruto chuckled

"A pretty penny that one, and certainly the pinnacle of my abilities at the moment" he said and the Hokage watched him

"How much?" he asked though Naruto saw the two ninjas glance his way with faint glares, not that he cared too much what they thought of him for the moment.

"That depends on what you have to spend. I don't do discounts by the way, a little policy of mine that several of you ninjas have made trouble over" he said and the Hokage raised an eyebrow

"Really now?" he asked and Naruto watched him closely

"Really, respect is earned not given, and so it is with me. Well, enough of that for now, this one" he said as he pulled out a dark bottle from the wall behind him and put it on the counter "is still worth a pretty penny, bottle and all" he said and the Hokage nodded

"You wouldn't cheat me" he said and Naruto shrugged while leaning back to allow the Hokage to inspect the bottle

"I see little reason to" he admitted and the Hokage nodded while putting his money on the table. Naruto quickly counted in and nodded

"A pleasure doing business Uzumaki-san" the Hokage said as he walked back out of Naruto's open doorway

"Of course sir" Naruto said, bowing his had slightly until the man was out of sight and he sighed, straightening back up as he stashed the money somewhere safe before going back upstairs to see how Haku was doing.

"Was that the Hokage?" she asked him as he walked into her room and he smirked at her

"Of course" he replied while sitting down on her bed

"You don't like him" Haku pointed out and Naruto shrugged

"He's the same as everyone else as far as I'm concerned, I only play the part out of fear, and fear is easily made redundant, or changes masters" Naruto told her and she nodded

"Are you..."

"Yes, I'm going to get the door fixed. It wouldn't do to have that open to the elements come the night, especially given how busy it's meant to become"

"Then let me"

"Stay" Naruto interrupted her, pushing her back down onto the bed as she tried to get up without much success

"But I want to help" she told him seriously and he smiled at her

"I know you do, but right now my biggest concern is keep you healthy, and collapsing in the middle of serving someone isn't what I'd consider to be healthy" he said and she looked at him

"But I haven't" she said and he smirked

"No, but you will if you carry on, so just lay there like a good girl and get some rest" he told her and she pouted

"Fine" she said and he smiled before kissing her cheek and getting off of the bed

"I'll only be gone a little while; I only need some new hinges and glue after all, so don't do anything while I'm gone" he told her mock seriously as he walked out of her room.

The town was just growing busy when Naruto walked back to his shop, already some of the ninja teams were beginning to arrive and Naruto had no particular wish to speak with any of them, or serve them anything, if he could help it. Various foreign relationships were strained enough as it was without someone like him getting involved.

So he got back to his shop and began the slow process of taking off the old and putting on the new hinges while fixing the damaged frame with some wood glue. It would do until he could afford the time and money to fit a new frame, although with the Hokage's money he could close up shop now and not have to deal with anything for the next few weeks or so. However he had various customers and the like that might hate him if he did something like that, though their loyalty seemed high people could be surprisingly fickle at the best of times.

So he sat on a stool and waited for the glue to dry while trying not to fall asleep

"Hey Naruto-san" someone suddenly greeted him and he looked up to see Hana and a carbon copy of her watching him. Naruto nodded

"Good morning Inuzuka-san and other" he said and the older woman chuckled

"Other? I'm Tsume, head of the Inuzuka clan" she said and Naruto shrugged

"Then I should call you Inuzuka-sama?" he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice as she laughed

"I can see why you liked him Musume" Tsume said to Hana who nodded

"He's certainly interesting for a civilian, if you believe the stories"

"It's not nice to talk about people, especially when they can hear you" Naruto suddenly interrupted them and the duo turned to look down at him where he sat, squinting slightly at the light from the sun that seemed rather intent on blinding him for a while.

"Why are you sitting out here Naruto-san?" Hana asked and Naruto blinked before standing up and dusting himself on a little

"A couple of customers yesterday thought it'd be a good idea to start a fight in my bar, so I told them otherwise. They broke my door so here I am" he told them and Hana blinked

That had been quite interesting. The two men had started up and Naruto had called them out, telling them to take it somewhere else or he was banning them permanently. They had apparently not heard him until a few other blokes walked over and threw them out of his shop. Of course one of them and then seen fit to brake his door, thoroughly and totally banning himself from Naruto's store for as long as it remained standing in the street. He had thanked the men who had promptly apologised for being so aggressive and resulting in his broken front door. Of course the men had been with girls that evening, so it really was no surprised to Naruto at all.

"Doing it yourself?" she asked and Naruto nodded

"Only way I can trust that it's been done at least somewhat decently" he said and Tsume chuckled again

"Well, we'll be coming round tonight anyway, assuming you will be open?" she said and Naruto scoffed

"Of course I will, the door'll be fixed by then anyway, so that's no problem" he said and Tsume nodded with a smile

"By the way Naruto-san" Hana then said getting his attention as he tested the wood a little

"Hmm?" he asked while nodding to himself and picking up the door

"Anko's rather pissed off at you" she said and Naruto grunted as he got the door in position

"I know"

"Aren't you going to say sorry?" Hana asked as Naruto got the door into position and sighed while leaving it there, the solid door being rather heavy

"If she's willing to say the same then yeah" he told her

"But she said..."

"Look underneath the underneath right? You don't have the whole story so please don't try to get involved Inuzuka-san" Naruto replied, his tone significantly cooler than it just had been and Hana frowned but nodded

"Okay then" she said softly and Naruto nodded

"If that is all Inuzuka-san, Inuzuka-sama" he said with a nod before turning back to his task while the two women walked off, no doubt talking about him and Anko. He wasn't surprised Hana had stood up for Anko, it was what friends should do after all, but she didn't have the whole story, and that meant that her initial thoughts were wrong about the whole thing. The wrong thing done for the right reasons does not make it any less wrong after all.

He would gladly go and apologise to Anko and Tenten both, if only he thought they would be willing to recuperate in kind, however right now he didn't think that they would and so he was left with a general feeling that this could end up dragging out for quite some time unless someone took that first step into the breach. And he knew that that someone was going to be him regardless of what he wanted. After all it often, if not always, was him anyway.

He quickly screwed the door back onto the frame and left it open for the last of the glue to dry as he watched the day begin to slowly roll past and away from him as he leant against the door to keep it in place. All the while hoping that no unexpected surprises occurred.

That night Naruto founding himself sitting by his counter, sighing to himself while he held a glass of his own bourbon and watched as the liquid flowed slowly around the glass as he swirled it before sighing and finally drinking it.

He stood up and moved over to the door to flip the sign before quickly walking back round to the back of his counter just as the door opened and the first of that nights' customers began to pour in, everyone apparently more than wanting a drink before the exams began in earnest.

The ninjas would arrive later that night after the majority of the civilians had left the shop and that was certainly going to be when he would make most of his money especially since the genin nine were supposed to be arriving that night, not that Tenten's team would be among them. Neji thought it was below him, Lee was banned from any and all forms of alcohol and Tenten was most certainly still mad at him.

"Hey Naruto-san" someone said and Naruto blinked as a large man with strong arms and hands that could crush a man

"Good evening Sato-san" Naruto said with a small smile and Sato grinned down at him "what are you doing here? You never have time usually" Naruto said and Sato laughed

"I made some time, figured I needed a brake and a strong drink from time to time" he said while leaning against the counter as Naruto quickly dealt with some of the other customers

"I'm guessing you made Tenten-chan work overtime again" Naruto said and the big man laughed again

"Right as always Naruto-san, now then, what've you got for me?" he asked and Naruto chuckled

"Well then...this'll do for you" he said and he pulled a bottle from the various shelf's and cabinets behind him. The bottle itself was a of a regular shape but the liquid inside was a honey brown that seemed to move languidly around in the bottle as Sato took it and gulped down a swig. Blinking before grinning at Naruto again

"I think I just found a new favourite drink" he said and Naruto laughed "spicy, nutty flavours with a dry aftertaste, bloody good stuff Naruto-san I must say. What's it's name?"

"It doesn't have a name, but its nickname is Cinderbrick Stout" Naruto told the man who blinked

"Like that old fort by the Grass/Fire border?" he asked and Naruto nodded as the man laughed again

"Bloody strange names some of these, oh well, enjoy your evening" Sato called out while walking over to get chatting with some of his friends and the like as another customer walked over.

"Good evening Naruto-san" the man said and Naruto blinked

"This is impressive Akio-san" Naruto said as he took in the immaculately dressed man in front of him "and here I thought you'd never set foot in my shop" he joked and the man smiled slightly

"Aye, well here I am"

"Taking a break?" Naruto asked as his eyes darted across before setting on a bottle and pulling it down

"The shops not doing so well at the moment"

"It isn't me" Naruto said almost instinctively and the man smiled at him

"I know it isn't Naruto-san, you restrict how many people come into you shop, so we still have most of our original customers, and many can't afford your prices constantly anyway" he said and Naruto sighed slightly

"You just need to take a break and then spice things up a little Akio-san, you serve food don't you?" Naruto said as he handed the man the bottle. The man looked on as Naruto poured him a glass before putting the two in front of him and watching as he took a gulp and smiled softly

"Brilliant as always" Aki muttered and Naruto laughed

"Thank you very much Akio-san, its bourbon" he said and the man chuckled

"Well its flavour certainly buoys you up" Akio said "thank you for the advice and the hints" he said with a smile before walking off and leaving Naruto with a brief moment of peace before the next few customers walked up and it all began again. Haku was forgotten for the moment while Naruto kept up his smile while laughing and chatting with the various customers that came through his door and left the same way, no one seemed to notice the faint cracks in the wood, not that Naruto had expected them to, he just hoped that nothing like yesterday happened again, otherwise he probably would have to close his shop down for a little while, if only to get away from it all for a little while.

Eventually the night had dragged on long enough for the civilians to leave and the ninjas finally enter while Naruto turned down the lights on one side of his shop as they came in, much more controlled, usually, than the civilians had been.

The genin's were first, chatting animatedly to one another as they took up a table at one end of the store before the jonin's walked in and took a table at the opposite end from their charges, neither side apparently wanting to mix with the other for the night, not that Naruto could really blame either of them. The Uchiha was there along with all the rest including Hinata, the Hyuga heiress, much to his shock, figuring that her father would never allow her to come here.

But then he realised that the Hokage had been here earlier today, and so his establishment was suddenly higher up than many of the others, not that he really cared for that mans opinion. He was a hard and cold man, military and stuck-up to the extreme, and personally Naruto hoped that he never had to deal with him. A stone had more personality than that bastard as far as he was concerned.

"Good evening" Naruto greeted them as two people from each table walked over to him, both apparently keeping as far away from the other as possible without being rude or making Naruto's life difficult by standing at each end of the bar, though there was still a good two metres between the two pairs as they stood waiting for the other to begin.

"Good evening Naruto-san" Kurenai finally greeted him and he turned to face her and Kakashi, who stood there without saying a word. Intelligent for him to do that, Naruto wasn't really in the mood to fight with the man and would have just banned him if he had started anything.

"What can I get you, the same as last time?" he asked

"You remember that?" Kakashi asked with a hint of shock in his voice, Naruto turned to him

"Just because I'm not a ninja Hatake-san, does not mean that I have a short memory" he said and Kakashi clammed up.

Kurenai shot him a glare before turning back to Naruto "if you would, though I'd like something different"

"Of course" Naruto said as he put the sake on the table before turning to his store and humming to himself before smiling to himself and pulling on down from the top shelf and putting it on the counter as Kurenai handed him the money and Kakashi walked off with the sake in hand.

"Asuma is still clambering for you to let him back in" Kurenai said once Kakashi was gone and Naruto scoffed

"He can do that as much as he like , but I never forget a slight, it'll be a cold day in hell indeed when he gets back in here with my permission" he said and Kurenai didn't say anything for a little while

"I see" she said before sipping at the her drink that Naruto had poured out for her, she looked at him with a smile

"Nickname?" she asked and Naruto smiled back at her

"Finally someone who understands, that one is Black Rye" he said and she nodded

"It's...different" she said and Naruto laughed

"I get that a lot, but I'm pleased you like it all the same, now then..." he said and she nodded before taking her leave as Naruto turned back to the genin who consisted of Kiba and Hinata, Kiba looking impatient as he tapped his foot and crossed his arms

"Finally" he muttered and opened his mouth only to realise that Naruto wasn't paying him any mind

"Good evening Hyuga-san" Naruto said with a smile as he inclined his head slightly, watching as Hinata lit up like a light

"G-good..." she stumbled and Naruto held up a hand

"Take a deep breath" he told her and she did so "relax and let it out, now, try again" he said and she did so

"Good evening Naruto-san" she said before her eyes widened at her lack of stutter and Naruto smiled

"There we go, now then, what can I get you?" he asked before Kiba suddenly snapped

"Damn you listen to me!" he shouted and Naruto looked to him with a narrowed gaze

"I suggest you revise your tone, Inuzuka-san, I have throw jonin's out of here for what you're doing now" he said and Kiba rolled his eyes

"Give us some sake" he demanded and Naruto raised his eyebrows

"Hmm, it's hard to believe you're on a team with Hinata and Kurenai, or that you're the brother of Hana" he said and Kiba spluttered

"Why?" he demanded and Naruto frowned

"Because at least their bloody polite" he said curtly "now either revise your tone or send someone else, I've had enough of you lot thinking your hard or something, I respect Kakashi more than you and I don't take this crap from him" he said to Kiba whose eyebrow was twitching

"Why you..." he snarled, reaching up to grab at Naruto's jacket

"What do you think you're doing Ototo-san?" someone asked and Kiba froze in place

"O-onee-san" he muttered as he turned around with a shaky smile as Naruto dusted himself down  
>"Good evening Hana-san, Inuzuka-san" he greeted her and the woman behind her just as Kiba noticed her and went pale<p>

"Well now, this is an interesting scene we've just walked in too" Tsume said with a glare that had Kiba cowering "was he bothering you Naruto-san?" Tsume asked and Naruto sighed as he straightened his jacket

"No more than usual I assure you" he said and Tsume's glare hardened

"I see" she growled and Kiba slunk away under her glare while Naruto saw Sakura roll her eyes and walk up to the counter instead of him

"Hello Naruto-san" she greeted him with a smile and Naruto inclined his head

"Good evening Sakura-san, I'm assuming your party wants the same as last time" he said and she nodded while he put the sake on the counter before turning back to Hinata

"And for you?" he asked and she looked at the various bottles behind him and seemed a little bit lost making him smile before pulling out a bottle

"What?" she asked and he poured some out

"Try it" he said and she did so, her frown suggesting she suspected it was going to be quite disgusting; her surprise was quite comical to Naruto who chuckled at her expression

"It good" she muttered and he smiled while handing her the bottle

"Then consider it a gift for being so unlike Kiba-san over there" he said and she looked at him before smiling and bowing slightly

"Thank you Naruto-san" she said before walking back over to her table

"That was nice of you" Hana said with suspicion tingeing her voice and Naruto shrugged

"Think what you want, but I think she needs a break from her father" he said and Hana blushed at having apparently thought the worst about him

"Sorry" she muttered and Naruto grunted before facing Tsume

"What's your poison then?" he asked and she laughed

"What've you got?" she asked with a challenging grin and Naruto chuckled

"This" he said while putting the bottle in front of her.

"Hmm" Tsume looked at it, sniffing at it and blinking as tears came to her eyes "it's very strong" she said and Naruto smirked

"Of course it is" he said as he poured her a glass as she sipped it, gasping slightly

"That's...very odd" she said and Naruto smirked

"What is it?" Hana asked and Tsume looked at her

"It's like...drinking a cool breeze" Tsume said before looking at Naruto "very strange, and I don't want to know what goes into it, but it's very good" she said and handed him the money which he took with a smile

"I aim to please" he said and she smirked before walking off to find a table

"How?" Hana asked and Naruto shrugged

"I'm just that good, now then, same as always or what?" he asked and she sighed "something else it is" he said before putting a bottle in front of her, the dark red liquid glinting the light as she looked at it, the bottle was warm.

"Is this..."

"What Anko has? Yep, warmed up and all, though please don't worry about the taste, Anko usually has the stronger stuff"

"So this is the original?"

"I'd call it that so yeah"

"Okay then"

Hana handed him the money and then walked off to take her seat with her mother in the darkened area of the shop where some of the more serious members of ninja society were sat.

"Hey Naruto-san" one of them said as they walked over, leaving a few of their companions still sat quietly at a table in the far corner.

"Good evening Ninja-san" Naruto replied with a small smile. The man's stance left little room for interpretation in Naruto's mind, the man was exhausted, spent for now and unable to really look beyond the next few hours in the presence of friends and a good drink.

"Something...comforting" the man said, as though the very word itself was hard to pronounce

"Of course...for your companions as well?" Naruto asked as he pulled down a bottle, the man nodded and Naruto pulled down two others and put them down as the man handed him the money

"Please Ninja-san, you know well that I do not take money from one such as you" Naruto told the man as he halved the money and handed some of it back to him "take it as thanks if you like" Naruto told him when he looked at him behind the eyes of his blank mask

"For what?" he asked and Naruto smirked

"Keeping this place, and myself, safe for the last few months" Naruto said and the man nodded slightly

"Thank you Naruto-san, too few people are so charitable" he said as he took the bottles back to the table where they each took a swig of the drink

"...like home, brings back memories" Naruto heard the man mutter as his two companions turned to Naruto, the female one waving and Naruto got the impression she was smiling thankfully behind that mask of hers, he smiled softly and bowed his head slightly in recognition.

"You're far too kind" someone said and Naruto turned and blinked at finding Anko standing before him

"Good evening Anko-san" he said for lack of anything better. She looked away as though shy before taking her usual seat

"So, um, I heard that the Hokage came by today for a, um, delivery. So I was, err, wondering..."

"If I had yours?" Naruto finished for her and she nodded "well I do, let me get it"

"Where's Haku-san" Anko asked and Naruto said nothing for a moment

"She's resting, she overdid it and nearly collapsed" he told her and she nodded slowly

"It wouldn't be that 'secret' technique you have would it"

"Maybe" he replied without looking at her as he pulled out the bottle and put it on the counter; a fairly ordinary bottle for a drink that could sell for enough to keep him open for a month or so.

"Is this...?"

"I keep my promises Anko-san, regardless of what happens" he told her and she looked away again

"I'm...sorry, for what it's worth. I don't mean to hurt you..."

"That's not the problem. I know that you both care and I'm touched, I really am, but I need some breathing space. As I proved on my little outing to Wave I can handle myself and I'm more than careful" he told her softly

"I know" she responded just as softly and he sighed before putting a glass in front of her

"I would advise you not to gulp it down like usual, it's very rich" he told her and she looked at him before shrugging and pouring herself a glass of the golden liquid, looking at it in surprise

"It certainly looks rich" she muttered and he chuckled, watching as she sniffed it before shrugging and sipping it as he suggested for a change. She blinked and gasped

"See why it's so popular now?" he asked teasingly and she nodded, having apparently lost he voice due to the rich textures and flavours now filling her mouth.

"Well" he said as he straightened up and began rubbing down the counter "don't go drinking it all in a hurry, you'll need to pay for the next batch, it costs a pretty penny to make after all" he told her and she nodded, though he noticed she looked a little guilty at taking it from him "don't" he cut her off before she could open her mouth "it's yours"

"But..."

"No buts, it's yours so take it" he told her sternly and she nodded obediently and closed her mouth.

"Has Tenten come here yet?" she then asked and Naruto shook his head

"She's about as stubborn as you, so I don't think I'll be seeing her for a while yet" Naruto said and Anko pouted

"I'm not that bad" she muttered and Naruto chuckled

"I think you are. But enough of that, I get the feeling that your getting edgy" he said and she looked at him with narrowed eyes before sighing

"I just don't want to do this" she whined and Naruto laughed

"I got that feeling Anko-chan" he told her with a soft smile "but the Hokage asked and you agreed, so you've got to live with it" he said

"Gee thanks, really cheered me up" she muttered and Naruto shrugged

"We've got to live with the decisions we make Anko-chan, fact of life" he said and she grunted with her head on the counter "in other words you came here for a drink because I'm the only place that'll serve you?" he asked and she snorted

"There are others" she muttered defensively and Naruto hummed in thought

"Last bar you went to that wasn't mine ended up closing down for several days if I remember correctly. Well, that and the barkeep ended up in hospital with a fractured jaw. Ringing any bells yet?" he teased and she looked away with colour on her cheeks

"He got me drunk and tried to touch me, what was I meant to do?" she muttered and Naruto sighed before gently tapping her head "ow" she winced slightly

"Idiot, you're meant to come here" he told her and she nodded after a moment

"Thanks" she muttered and Naruto tapped her again

"Don't thank me you mook, now come on, I've got other things to do than watch you sleep on my counter" he said as he faced some new customers

"I'm not sleeping" Anko muttered in response and Naruto smiled

"Of course not, now come on" he said and she grunted before moving to allow him to get on with things while she headed off to sleep.

"She looked knackered" a male customer said and Naruto nodded

"She was" he replied while counting through the money he'd just been handed

"Probably worrying about you"

"Yep"

"You lot get into an argument again?"

"Pretty much, how'd you know?"

"Damn. They just aren't around so, well, it's usually the cause"

"Our arguments? Well I'm impressed at your observational skills, and the fact you care"

"Naruto-san, most of the people here, the regulars that is, care about you, to some extent at least"

"I know, but whatever. Here's your change"

"What about the brown haired girl?"

"Tenten? Don't know when she'll come back, the exams are beginning in two days aren't they?"

"Oh yeah...well whatever, see you later Naruto-san"

"Yeah"

The sun was just peeking over the false horizon of the forest when Naruto saw the first of them. Ninja's one and all, all heading towards the same building and all here for the same reason, the Chunin exams. He himself had no particular love for the exams, crime went up and wars became more likely when something like this took place, a way to replace the old wars and turn it into a kind of sport that generated a fair amount of profit for whoever was hosting the games at the time.

There had been quite a few teams going past as he'd leaned against his new doorframe and sipped at one of his special brews. From Earth to Sand they all arrived here to test their skill and hopefully advance in their cruel, dark world.

He had no love for it at all. They say that there are no wise wars, and a ninja's life is certainly just one long war against whatever foe their leader wishes to send them against. To train children to kill, it made him wonder if their culture was truly advanced, or if they simply went through the motions to appease themselves.

He had no doubt that in the coming years only some of the Konoha genin would be coming back to his bar, and those that did would have eyes as cold as the steel they wield, and he'll be giving them discounts on his wares because even the toughest of them are human, no matter what the council or Hokage may want them to be, or choose to believe. Though he would most likely be at the last series of fights a month or so from now he would hold no love for them, he merely wished to give his support to those he cared for. Providing, of course, they reached that stage without dying.

But such was the risk that was run in anything ninjas ever did. Konoha trained their ninjas well psychologically, no better teams could be found throughout the elemental countries, and that was a fact. But one on one they were, on average, weaker than their foes in countries such as Suna and the like. His only true fear was if war broke out.

But that wasn't his concern right now.

"What'd you think Naruto-san?" someone asked at his side and he sighed

"Akio-san, I think we were right. Everyone seems to tense, and I've heard rumours of Sand and Sound forces meeting late in the evening, and being in places they shouldn't"

"What should we do then? Warn the council?"

"No, we should prepare to guard our own first, the plans in place for an evacuation are already in place, but those plans were made years ago"

"Should we tell someone?"

"Hmm, only our comrades" Naruto smiled at him amusedly "the attack, I think, will come during the final exam, a month from now, if I'm guessing correctly. It'll be the easiest time to attack"

"I agree, well then, I'll see to it"

"Thank you Akio-san, I'll get started on my end as well"

"Goodbye then"

"Yes, goodbye"

Naruto watched the man walk away into the dust that the wind seemed to toy with. He sighed to himself and finished the last of his drink before turning around to walk back inside of the shop and, hopefully, leave his depressing thoughts behind him as well, before he found himself unwilling to open the shop up again for fear of depressing everyone else who saw him.

"Are you okay Naruto-kun?" Haku asked when she saw him. He smiled and nodded

"Of course Haku-chan. Is everything ready for tonight?" he asked as he sat down in one of the chairs

"Just about, though quite as to why you want it done so quickly is beyond me" she muttered and Naruto laughed

"I just want to get it out of the way fairly quickly, otherwise we're going to have to rush later on" he explained

"Are you expecting someone?" she asked and Naruto shook his head

"Not that I know of, but it wouldn't be the first time I've forgotten about something like that" he confessed and she shook her head

"What about the exams?" she asked

"What about them? The ninjas will fight and kill each other, the victors will be those left standing at the end of it all" he told her and she looked uneasy

"Is that all?" she asked and he sighed

"I like it even less than you Haku-chan, but I've grown up here, I've seen this at least once before that I can remember and not very many came out of that intact" he told her and she sighed somewhat shakily

"I don't like it" she confessed and Naruto shrugged slightly

"Unfortunately we don't get a choice in the matter. We're told to just get on with it and leave whatever else to those that have the ability to make a difference. And as a civilian I get no choice or say in the matter, this is, after all, a military dictatorship" he said and she nodded.

"I see"

"We're not as bad as Suna and the like, but still, you can't become too soft in this sort of world, otherwise it'll eat you. I'm just fortunate that I have enough friends in the higher echelons of the ninja hierarchy"

"Why?"

"It keeps me safe and makes it harder for people like the Hokage to simply demand things from me. He may look and play the part of a kindly old man, but he's killed hundreds of people and has ordered hundreds more to their deaths, I don't blame him, but still, I hate him for it"

"I see"

"I wonder about that. I don't hate him for what he must do; it's more of a basic hatred in terms of my morals. I am a very moral man Haku-chan, I've gone through fires and come out the other side stronger for it and with my moral structure intact. Most ninjas don't" he said and she went quiet, as though wondering about something for a long while. He just sat there and thought to himself about those times and wondering why he had such a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"What happened?" Haku asked softly. Naruto looked at her and chuckled humourlessly

"I was made into something...wrong" he said and she looked at him oddly "Anko and the older generation know but not the younger ones, for all the good it did. Tell me Haku-chan, don't you wonder why I never seem to get full?" he asked and she shook her head

"It's because I banned nearly half the populace from entering" he told her and she looked astonished "I may forgive, but I never forget a slight made against me or mine. Many of them did just that, so I banned them and became the number one place to go for drinks in this town. My own little form of revenge, not much, but I never was a man to contemplate such things" he told her and she watched him "I am a human weapon, Haku-chan, but the forces that be didn't count on me having a mind of my own. That is another reason I hate the Hokage and all he stands for. I was cursed by the forth, for a reason I will never know, and the third made my situation infinitely worse. For all his apparent wisdom he forgot the most important thing of all, that the path to hell is paved with good intentions" Naruto finished and sat back

"What...what do you mean a human weapon?" Haku asked, looking slightly pale

"I haven't had any training if that's what you mean, though the Hokage would certainly wish otherwise, if his filling my head with his idea of noble ideals were anything to go by. I simply contain something very old and very powerful. I don't think of it, it doesn't rule my life" he told her and she nodded

"You...won't tell me what it is?" she asked and Naruto watched her for a long moment before sighing

"Very well. I am the container to the nine-tailed fox demon Kyubi" he told her and she blinked

"I-is that all?" she asked and Naruto smiled

"Human beings are fickle creatures Haku-chan, I suffered because of baser human nature"

"I'm sorry"

"So were they afterwards, allegedly, but enough of this depressing line of thought"

"What're we doing today then?" Haku asked him as he stood up

"Hmm? You can go and do whatever you want, I, however, need to go double check some of my late suppliers and talk to someone"

"Is it about the invasion?"

"Hmm very astute of you, I knew I made a good choice"

"Thank you" Haku said while blushing

"Yes, I need to inform some people about what's going to happen next. We have three days to play with before those teams are allowed back out into the town. All the time in the world" Naruto said with a small chuckle as he pulled on his jacket and strode out of the door into the cold air, he had stuff to do after all.

_**The End**_

**Sorry for the slow updates, but exams and all that require my attention for the moment.**

**As for the pairing I seem to be stuck between Haku and Tenten, so please do send me a review or something with which one you want, or both, I don't mind right now. And please do send me any**

**The next chapter will be out after chapter twelve of Dog and Fox and before the end of the holidays.**

**So please Review as always, and Thanks for reading.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The sky was streaked with rust that arose from the horizon and seemed to flow along the sky up to the blackest point above them. Swallows darted up above them in the early morning air, still chilled from the moons cool gaze and silver light, singing and calling out as the last of the nights companions disappeared, absorbed in the slowly brightening vault of pale blue that was emerging by itself to greet the coming of the sun.

Naruto frowned as he watched this all happen from the roof of his shop. It had been a fairly uneventful night, for which he was thankful for, though he had made less money than he would have liked. The teams were still stuck within the tower and surrounding forest, so they were unable to earn him any kind of coin even as their various leaders and teachers wandered the streets. They appeared to be avoiding his shop, possibly because they had heard certain stories about it. Like the fat he disliked trouble makers and often had Anbu members helping him along with any particularly troublesome individuals.

He cared little for what they thought about him, though the lack of money was making things a little tight, he had still made enough from the Hokage and others to cover what few costs he still had. The door frame had been finally repaired after Haku annoyed him enough about getting it done professionally.

Today was the end of the second portion of the test. He knew from rumours that too many people had passed the exam, and therefore a series of battles were being used to cull them back and make it less difficult on them later. He nearly chuckled at the thought of this faux war they were playing in. Though he wondered how many of the ninjas inside of that tower realised that particular fact. Those from other countries likely did, but those from Konoha were not quite bloodthirsty enough, not world-weary enough, to yet appreciate that they were all just pieces on a game board, with the Hokage moving the pieces as he wished.

Though, Naruto mused, the Hokage himself was also a piece on the board. He was the queen, for all it mattered, and the village itself was the king. Or so the man claimed, Naruto cared little with the semantics of the thing, and while it painted a nice image and glossed over all of the death and destruction such men brought down on the heads of those who wished to only dwell in peace and tranquillity.

"Dwell in silence and tranquillity" he muttered to himself

"What Naruto-kun?" Haku asked from his side and he turned to smile down at her

"Don't worry about it Haku-chan, just talking to myself" he said, noticing the slight blush on her cheeks. He smiled to himself and turned once more to face the horizon.

"Do you think we'll get better returns now?" Haku asked him and Naruto hummed to himself in thought for a moment

"I hope so, but I am concerned that those teams that lost will be more than a little sour, especially against Konoha forces, so they may make trouble in one way or another" he told her and she shifted slightly

"Surely their sensei's will stop them" she said and Naruto shook his head

"Those from Earth country and the like are bloodthirsty, and care little about others perceptions of them, or so I've been led to believe. They'll make trouble because they'll want some kind of revenge in one form or another" he told her and she nodded in understanding, though it was clear to Naruto that she disliked that thought.

"Are we opening earlier then?" she asked and Naruto sighed

"Perhaps we should, if only for the increased flow of customers" he said before sighing to himself "the whole things just getting more and more annoying" he told her and she nodded her head in agreement before he stood up and stretched briefly before jumping from his roof as onto the ground. Straightening up he brushed himself down and moved back into his shop that was about as spotless as ever.

Since Haku had been helping him with his 'secret process' his output level had quadrupled and he now had more than enough stock for the coming months. He hoped he had enough at least, if it wasn't enough then that probably meant either his estimates were off or something bad was going to happen.

The tension in the tow hadn't eased at all; it was as though everyone could sense the coming storm, though only a few could see the telltale flashes of lightning against the horizon, as it were. So Naruto had made plans with the civilian members of the council and various merchants as well. He was well aware that doing so behind the military's back could be considered as something approaching treason, but he cared very little, he was all too aware of the arrogance of those in power in this town and as such had very little doubt that a spy had infiltrated their ranks and so crippled the effectiveness of their original evacuation plans, so they had been altered to reflect more efficient paths and the change in the towns layout since the plans were originally laid out over a decade ago now.

He would be meeting with the members later that night to discuss the plans and how they would be put into action without arousing too much suspicion from the powers that be.

Regardless, he had other things to worry about than that at the moment.

"How are we doing on stores at the moment?" he asked Haku as she joined him and she blinked

"Fine" she replied and he frowned slightly

"Alright then, so every things ready and there's nothing more to do" he said and she nodded "in that case I'm going for a walk" he said and strode out of the bar without another word.

He moved down the street which was still empty save for a few birds and various inhabitants of the night that were still active even as the last vestiges of that time bled away into nothing and vanished. They paid him little mind regardless as he made his way down the street, hopping out of his way but doing little else.

He walked into the opened shop door to find Sato already preparing his shop for the influx that was sure to come, what with people needing to replace their weapons and the like from the battles in the forest and tower.

"Good morning Sato-san" Naruto called out to the man as he walked into the shop as the man tuned to face him

"Good morning Naruto-san" he replied with a smile "the teams will be coming out shortly I think" the man said and Naruto nodded

"I think so as well, however I don't think they'll be coming straight for us just yet" he said and Sato grinned

"I know, the Hokage will be having words with them, and then they'll have to each draw a number to select who they're going to be fighting in the true finals" he said and Naruto sighed

"Which means solid training for a month for those who're going to be fighting. I can't say I envy them too much for that particular fact" he said and Sato nodded in agreement

"I know that all too well, my production levels dropped since Tenten-chan went off into the exams" he complained and Naruto chuckled

"Whereas my production level has risen dramatically with my hired help" Naruto told the man who just chuckled

"I see that it has, though I have to wonder how you restraining yourself" he said and Naruto smiled

"I have no idea what you mean Sato-san, how could you possibly suggest such a thing?" he asked in mock surprise and Sato laughed

"Very well, but regardless, that lass seems quite particular to you"

"I am aware of that Sato-san, but that doesn't mean she loves me"

"No of course not, but then again I'd say that seems to be true for all of the women in your life" Sato pointed out and Naruto laughed

"I'll take your word for that then" Naruto told the man who nodded

"Good enough for me. What're you here for Naruto-san?" Sato then asked and Naruto smiled at him

"Have you heard?" he asked and Sato nodded

"Yeah I've heard. Its a dangerous game Naruto-san" Sato told him and Naruto chuckled

"I am well aware of that fact, but I have to backing of several rather powerful men and women in the council, and as such I'm fairly sure I'll pull this off without dying" he said and Sato shook his head

"Well whatever, I'll spread the word around if you want, but if the Hokage gets wind of this" Sato shook his head and Naruto chuckled again

"Don't worry about that, that's my job at the moment. I'm going to be meeting a large section of the council tonight, they appear to be more than willing to listen to my advice, though I have no idea why" Naruto confessed and Sato chuckled

"It's because the advice you give is too damned good to pass up, whatever the advice is on apparently. That and I think that Haruno women's taken a shine to you" he said and Naruto blinked before realisation dawned upon him

"I see now, well I can only hope it goes well. I'm apparently playing peacekeeper as well in this little meeting of ours" he said and Sato laughed

"Well if you can manage it then I'd say you're in line to be the next head of it" he said with a teasing grin and Naruto laughed

"I'd rather not to be honest, and I doubt my past would let me but whatever" he said as he walked over back to the door "spread the word to those you trust but no further, too many know about it already. The militia will be informed the day before the invasion"

"How much time?"

"We'll give them a few hours notice, it should be enough time, and besides, we can't afford to let one of them leak out what has been changed and who let it happen" he said with a grin "I'll be seeing you around Sato-san" he said with a wave over his shoulder as he strode out of the shop and back into the dusty streets.

"I must disagree Naruto-san"

"I don't care councilman, as far as I'm concerned the safety of the civilians and our businesses are my only concern, not your money"

"But without that…"

"It can be made back in months; it takes half a year to rebuild a lost business and eighteen years to replace a life"

"He has a point"

Naruto was sitting in his shop, the shutters were drawn and Haku had scoped out the area to make sure that it was totally safe and free from any ninjas or people that might try to spy on this particular conversation.

He was sitting with various powerful men and women from the civilian part of the council. There was none of his famous drinks being served at the moment however. As far as he was concerned they all needed a clear head to make the best decision for those that had placed their trust in them. As fond as many of the merchants were of drinking Naruto didn't care, he was here to protect his business and the people that were his customers, and if that meant making a few powerful enemies then so be it. He already had a fair few of those already.

"Thank you Haruno-san" he replied to a pink-haired woman with a slightly inclination of his head

"But we can't just go with this. The fact is that the Hokage will be furious with us once we do this if he finds out, and then there's the fact that the militia need to be informed" another male council member said, a unlit cigarette in his left hand as he waved it around.

"We've already discussed things with several high ranking militia" Naruto told the man as he tapped the wooden table with his fingers "they've agreed to go along with it and the Hokage's got his plate full with worrying about this happening" Naruto continued

"But shouldn't we bring it up at one of our meetings?" another man asked and Naruto frowned slightly

"The point it that there's a spy somewhere in this village, somewhere high up. That means that we need to be discreet about this whole thing, if he or she gets wind of it then we're all liable to end up dead or with a lot of dead people on our hands"

"I see"

"I wonder about that. My concern is the wellbeing of my customers"

"I'm surprised that you would help them"

"Because of my past? As much as part of me would like to let them die, I have bigger concerns than that. Besides, spreading hate only kills what makes us human. I'm the weak link. So we are all in agreement?"

"…I see, and yes I believe so"

"Very good, then this is the last time we'll see each other unless something goes wrong, good day ladies and gentlemen"

They stood and filed out as Haku walked back into the shop. Naruto sighed and leaned back on his chair as a shadow fell over him

"Can I help you Haruno-san?" he asked politely and the pink haired woman bowed her head

"I just…wanted to thank you Naruto-san, for helping my daughter realise what she was doing wrong" she said and Naruto smiled at her

"Please don't worry about it"

"Still, thank you. We couldn't do anything for her. You'll have our support Naruto-san" she said and Naruto bowed his head in turn

"Very generous of you, thank you" he replied as she smiled in return before leaving.

Haku shut the door behind her and Naruto sighed

"Are you okay Naruto-san?" Haku asked and Naruto chuckled

"I'm fine; I hope I never end up on the council, but whatever. We'd best make sure everything's ready for tonight. I think quite a number of people will be in here tonight"

"Because of the end of the exams?"

"Yep, I hope you had enough sleep last night" Naruto teased Haku and she just huffed and walked off to go and make sure everything really was ready for the following night.

The night air was cool and refreshing, the wind seemed to brush across his cheek like faint lingering touches on an unseen hand. He looked up to see the moon beaming down on him and he sighed to himself as he viewed the customers starting to line up just outside of his store, some chatting amongst themselves while others looked almost withdrawn.

Tonight was an 'all-ninja' night, and that meant that many of the patrons would likely be tired and irritable due to the exams and, though he wasn't meant to know, the up and coming invasion of the Sound and Suna forces. The genin that had failed to pass would be the ones to look out for. Though Naruto had no doubt that the regulars would take steps to prevent anything too severe from happening within his establishment it would be better if nothing happened at all. He didn't need the added expenses of having to replace anything again.

He walked back inside

"You ready Haku-chan?" he called out as he flipped the sign and took his place behind the bar as Haku appeared

"I'm fine" she said, sounding nearly out of breath

"I told you that we'd be opening earlier than usual" he said and she glared at him

"I was in the bath. And anyway, you didn't tell me

"You were in the bath, would you rather I walked in?" Naruto asked with a smirk and Haku blushed furiously just as the doors opened and the first customers started walking in.

The air in the bar appeared to quickly become segregated between two halves. On one hand the darkened section became very quiet and almost solemn, and Naruto ha no doubt that something had happened during the second portion of the exams, and for it to require more than half a dozen Anbu members it must've been something big, while the other side of the room was rather vibrant and filled with people celebrating and chatting animatedly amongst themselves.

Naruto looked over to find those three Anbu that often frequented his establishment there, all looking as tired and worn out as they had the last time they had been in here. A bottle of Black Rye was in-between the three of them and whatever conversation they'd been having had died out a few moments ago. Naruto sighed to himself and pulled a bottle off of the shelves behind him before walking over to them and pulling up a seat to sit himself opposite them.

"Naruto-san?" one of them asked, a wolf mask hid his face

"Hey guys" Naruto greeted them as he opened the bottle and filled their glasses before partially filling one for himself.

"What're you doing here?" another asked, a hawk mask hiding her face

"Yeah, haven't you got to serve the others?" the last of them asked, with a owl mask covering her face. Naruto just chuckled

"I'll leave that to Haku-chan" he said

"That girl you picked up in Wave?" Hawk asked and Naruto nodded

"The very same, she could use the experience after all" Naruto replied as he sipped at the drink, sighing at the strange yet pleasant sensations it caused.

"Your business is doing as well as ever" Owl said and Naruto sighed

"Yeah I suppose, I think I'll need to get away from here in a little while though" he replied

"Why's that?" Wolf asked and Naruto chuckled

"There's a lot of tension here at the moment, though I guess it's because everyones waiting for the last part of the exams" he said, watching their reactions carefully

"Probably" Owl replied and Naruto nodded his head, they hadn't given anything away, not that he had expected them to; they were well trained after all.

"Though I hear something happened in that forest" Naruto then said and Wold seemed to twitch slightly

"How'd you know about that?" he asked and Naruto shrugged

"The same way I know about a lot of things, rumours and nothing more" he said and Wolf seemed to accept that

"It wasn't nice" he muttered and the two women both shot him a warning glance. Naruto sighed and leaned back

"I can imagine, I'm really glad I'm not a ninja now" he said "though I have a suspicion that whatever took place in that forest involved Anko-chan. Since she's not here and I haven't heard anything from anyone else I can assume that she's either on a mission out of town, though it would be odd for her not to tell me anything, or, more likely, she was attacked by whoever infiltrated the forest"

"How do you know that?" Hawk asked this time, her glare behind the mask rolled off of Naruto as he stood up

"It appears I have overstayed my welcome. As for how I know, its the same reason, and a bit of deduction. You guys should train your new recruits better"

With that he walked away from them

"Hold on" Hawk called back out but Naruto didn't stop until he was behind his bar once again. She walked over to him and bowed her head slightly

"I'm sorry" she said and he shook his head

"There's no need, I know very well what you're job entails" he said and she looked at him

"But I doubted you and for that I must apologise, you have been nothing but kind to us, and have helped us out a great deal. I shouldn't doubt your loyalty Naruto-san" she said and Naruto smiled warmly at her

"Please don't worry about it, you probably have enough on your plate as it is at the moment" he said and she nodded before looking down at the ground. A moment of silence passed before she looked back up at him.

"I can't tell you much, but she was attacked in the forest as you assumed. We don't know who it was yet but they managed to injure her"

"Badly?"

"No, she said that she'd be here tonight"

"I see, thank you very much Hawk-chan"

Hawk walked back to her table and sat down. Naruto sighed and looked over as more people walked into the store, the entire Genin group had turned up, including Neji's squad, which meant Tenten was there with them, though she looked thoroughly put out about something. Behind them walked in a team from Earth looking even more put out that she did.

Naruto frowned and lightly touched the machete hidden under his bar.

They were the first to approach and Naruto schooled his features into a look of calmness. While they were certainly customers he knew that look and stance, they were angry and arrogant. A bad mixture all things considered, and not only that, this whole bar was filled with Konoha ninjas. All in all it looked pretty bad and Naruto had no wish to have anything more damaged.

"Good evening" he said evenly, keeping his tone as level as possible, the last thing he needed was a fight, especially with how tense the Jonin and Anbu were looking, in fact the three he had just been talking to had had their eyes on the Earth team since they walked in, and appeared more than ready to jump into the fray if things got ugly. He just hoped they didn't spill any blood anywhere, it was certainly a pain to get out of the woodwork.

The team leader turned to regard Naruto who tightened his grip on the machete under his bar and narrowed his eyes slightly in warning

"Give us some of that stuff" he said gruffly and Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man's disrespect. As much as he didn't care for titles and the like he at least liked people to follow basic politeness rules

"Which one?" Naruto asked and the man narrowed his eyes

"Are you deaf? I said that one" he said again while pointing to one of the bottles behind Naruto who sniffed at the man's tone and turned to get it

"What're you looking at scum?" he heard one of them ask and he turned back around

"Excuse me" he said sharply, getting their attention

"If you cannot be polite to my other customers then I will have to ask you to leave" he said and they sneered at him

"What're you going to do? You're just a civi" he said while moving closer to Naruto who watched him with a cool gaze

"I will throw you out, that is your second warning" he said and the man laughed before pulling his hand back to punch Naruto only to cry out in pain.

The three Anbu that had been watching had all moved as one, knocking out the man's three students and breaking his wrist and elbow

"And that was your third warning" Naruto told the man coldly "thank you for intervening" he said gratefully to the three Anbu as Wolf turned to face him

"Please Naruto-san, we're merely paying back a debt" he said and Naruto smiled while bowing slightly

"I'll still give you my thanks" he said as he noticed Haku in the corner of his eye, she had several needles at the ready and he smiled warmly at her as well, watching as she blushed and made herself busy, avoiding his gaze all the while.

"We're guests" the Earth leader said and Hawk scoffed at him

"Who are expected to follow the laws in our country, assaulting a civilian is definitely an offence. So we'll be escorting you from town and making sure you don't get back in" she said and the man glared at her

"I'll tell my Kage" he hissed and she shrugged

"The Hokage will simply state that you broke the law, after all a civilian who's loyalty is unquestioned and three Anbu members will certainly lend weight to our case" she said and the man hissed again before allowing himself to be led away by the Anbu members as Naruto sighed and leaned on his counter.

Tenten then walked over. Naruto looked up at her before standing back up straight

"Good evening Tenten-san" he greeted her formally and she frowned slightly, looking away for a moment before turning back to him

"I'm sorry" she said bluntly and with more force than was necessary

"Okay" Naruto replied and she blinked

"Just like that?" she asked and he shrugged

"We've had this kind of thing before so don't worry about it" he told her and she huffed

"What about Haku-san?" she asked and Naruto laughed

"She's with me all the time, we can't afford to fight" he explained before his voice took on a teasing edge "that and I'm not afraid of her trying to stick me full of sharp pointy things" he said and Tenten pouted cutely

"That's not fair" she whined and Naruto chuckled

"Perhaps not" he replied "now then, I'm going to assume that you lost your second match and therefore are going to try and drink too much" Naruto said as he pulled down a bottle and poured her a glass before handing it to her

"How…"

"You came in with a face like thunder, it wasn't exactly hard to figure out" he told her and she sighed as she sat down on one of the stools

"I lost against a wind user" she said and Naruto sighed

"I did tell you" he said and she nodded "I thought you were learning how to counter that though" he then said and she nodded

"I learned some earth techniques and they kept me from taking too much damage, I was lucky" she said and Naruto sighed

"Well, I'm just glad to see you unhurt for once. So I'm taking it that you lost against a user from Suna?" he asked and she nodded again

"Yeah, she was so sadistic" she muttered hotly and Naruto sighed while ruffling her hair

"Don't worry about it, it was a show" he told her and she looked up at him

"What…"

"She was trying to prove, decisively, that Konoha ninjas a weak and cowardly" he said and she looked down at her drink

"So it was only a show?" she asked and Naruto chuckled

"Of course it was, they're the only Suna team here was well, so it was likely that they'd try to pull something like that, so try not to hate her too much" he said

"Why do you care?" she asked sharply and Naruto shrugged

"Because we're meant to be allies, and hate isn't exactly a worthwhile emotion" he told her and she looked down  
>"Alright" she muttered and Naruto smiled down at her<p>

"Then that's fine, though I do wonder what that team is like" he said only for the door to swing inwards and two members of the Suna team walk in

"Speak of the devil" Tenten muttered

"I always thought she'd be taller" Naruto replied and Tenten covered her mouth to stop from spitting out her drink in laughter

"Good evening" Naruto then called out to the two Suna ninjas. The blonde haired woman appeared to be rather confident, ignoring all the glares various Konoha ninjas shot her and her partner, who seemed to be imitating a nervous rabbit, with his eyes darting everywhere. A rather amusing thing giving the war-paint that he was wearing, purple as it was.

"Good evening" the woman said with a certain coolness that made Naruto edgy, it was the same coolness that usually preceded violence

"I take it you two are here for a drink?" he asked with a slight narrowing of his eyes, watching the woman's reactions closely as she nodded her head

"We asked around and were told this was the best bar here" she explained and Naruto nodded

"Well I admit that I'm flattered my reputation is so high. So then I'll ask you what's your poison?" he asked her and she raised an eyebrow at him before looking behind him at the various bottles. She had apparently not yet noticed Tenten who seemed to be trying to crush the glass in her hand. Naruto made a downward motion with his hand and she seemed to calm down slightly.

"None of them have names" she then pointed out and Naruto chuckled

"No, I don't name my drinks, though many have gained certain nicknames and the like. Now then let's see…you're from Suna so that means…" Naruto muttered to himself as he faced the rows of bottles and traced his hand over a few before suddenly pulling one of them down and putting it in front of her.

He poured some out and she looked hard at him before sipping at it and blinking

"That's…" she trailed off and Naruto laughed

"That's the expression most people get when they first taste some of my own stuff" he told her and she smirked

"I can see why" she said before turning to her companion

"Oi Kankuro, aren't you getting anything?" she asked and the young man seemed to snap to attention, causing Naruto to almost chuckle at his actions

"I don't know Temari-nee-chan" he confessed and Naruto raised an eyebrow. He had heard a few rumours but it appeared true that the children of the Kazekage were all in Konoha. That was certainly interesting if another rumour also proved to be true.

"I can offer you something" Naruto said and the boy looked at him as Naruto put down another bottle "try this" he offered while holding out the glass which was rather warm in his hands

"Thanks" Kankuro muttered before sipping at it and blinking before gasping slightly as the taste hit him "that's strong" he gasped and Naruto smirked slightly

"I take it you approve?" he asked and the boy grinned

"Definitely" he said and handed Naruto his money before walking off to find a table in the darkened section, no doubt looking for a break from all the stares and the like.

"He was nervous" Naruto told Temari who sighed

"He's a coward" she said and Naruto chuckled a little

"I can see that many of the rumours surrounding Suna women were true" he said and Temari looked at him

"Oh?" she asked with an amused smirk

"Yep, beautiful, tanned and tough as the desert itself" he said and Temari laughed

"Are you trying to flirt?" she asked and Naruto waved her off

"Please, I've enough to worry about without adding a long distance relationship to my list" he said and she looked at him

"Not even for one night?" she asked and Naruto looked at her amusedly

"Not even that" he said and she shrugged

"Suit yourself"

"Besides your brother would try to kill me" he said and she chuckled as she sat down

"Oh it's you" she said coldly as she finally notice Tenten who glared at her while Naruto sighed

"Ladies" he said, getting their attention "if you're going to fight then do it outside, I've had enough trouble for one night" he said and they glared at each other again but seemed to settle down "better" he said

"Is it always like this in here?" Temari then asked and Naruto laughed

"I would hope not" he told her "this is a ninja-only night, so it's usually fairly quiet, but thanks to the exams there's been a large influx of customer's" he told her and she hummed before turning to Tenten

"I take it your an alcoholic then?" she asked snidely

"Watch it" Naruto said softly and Temari glanced at him before sighing

"Fine" she muttered

"And to answer your question, yes she's a regular here" he said as the three Anbu walked back in, waving to him as he smiled and nodded at them "as are they" he said and Temari seemed to be surprised

"They must like it here then" she said and Naruto shrugged

"Maybe" he said before gently squeezing Tenten's hand

"Make sure Lee doesn't drink anything, I think he's trying to take Kiba's cup" he said and Tenten's eyes widened before she shot over to her comrades to try and stop Lee destroying everything with his drunken fist.

"Is that bad?" Temari asked him and he shrugged

"Depends on what and how much he takes, but I'd rather have my bar intact, especially with what he did to the last one" he replied to her and she nodded her head as he sat down in front of her

"So" he began "why are you and your brother here without the other one?" he asked and she looked sharply at him

"Why does it concern you?" she asked threateningly and Naruto chuckled to himself

"Because I hear some pretty interesting things about your brother" he said and she leaned back

"Oh?" she asked with narrowed eyes "like what?" she asked and Naruto shrugged

"Little things, about his perfect defence and all that. Only problem is, there's not a person on this planet capable of such skilful manipulation, especially without the use of their eyes" he said and she frowned

"Who are you?" she asked and he laughed

"Uzumaki Naruto, a man who hangs around too many ninjas for it to be healthy" he told her and she looked at him hard

"Why do you care?" she asked and Naruto sighed

"Because I can guess what he's been through" he said and she narrowed her eyes but Tenten returned before she could say anything. Naruto looked over to see Lee holding his head along with Kiba

"Thank you Tenten-chan" he said and she sighed while sipping at her drink as Haku moved around the tables, delivering drinks and picking up finished ones.

"Dumb-asses, the lot of them" she huffed and Naruto laughed

"You can say that all you want, but I'll never believe you" he said and she glared at him

"Fine then" she huffed and Naruto turned his attention back to Temari who was watching him intently

"Before you say anything, please be aware that I am in a very similar position to your brother" he told her and she frowned

"You're?" she asked and Naruto nodded

"I am at that, though as you can see I don't make a big deal out of it. So like I was saying, I get the feeling that something's going on between the three of you" Naruto told her before sitting down in front of her and motioning for Tenten to give them a little pace, which she did, although she glared at Temari all the while.

"You're from Konoha" she pointed out and Naruto laughed

"I'm not asking about national secrets here, I'm asking about your brother" he said and she frowned

"It's the same thing" she said and Naruto chuckled

"Somehow I don't think so, but whatever, there's still something happening" he persisted and she growled

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because I'm going to listen"

"Huh?"

"Others might think they know what's best, but that's not what matters to me. Come on, just talk to me, then if your still here we can think of something to do about it"

"What'd you get out of it?"

"Nothing more than a friend. So come on, spill it"

Temari sighed and leaned forwards after downing her drink faster than Naruto's eyes could follow

"Fine" she huffed as she folding her arms in front of her on the counter-top and sighed heavily, Naruto just waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts before speaking.

"Well the main problem is the bloodlust" she said and Naruto nodded but didn't reply "it's like he just wants to kill everyone he sees nowadays, including me and Kankuro there. I managed to stop him from snapping in the forest but he's slipping, and I know that I can't pull him back anymore. That blasted thing inside of him his eating away at his personality and it's making him into just what our father wanted, a mindless killing machine that'll slaughter our enemies. Of course he wants to kill all of us as well"

"However he's not because you're too weak to him?" Naruto asked and she looked surprised but nodded all the same

"That's pretty much it" Temari said with a sigh "but we're family, he should listen to me" she growled softly and Naruto sighed but still said nothing "so here we are in the middle of the exams and Garaa wanting to kill each and every one of us if we even so much as talk to him. I don't think he'll make it past his fight with the Uchiha" she told him and Naruto frowned slightly, folding his hands together on the counter as he continued watching and listening to her

"Anyway, the point is that he's gone over the edge and now we're scared to even be in the same building as he is" she finished and Naruto sighed

"I see" he said simply before pausing for a moment, closing his eyes before opening them to look straight at her "he was isolated and had multiple attempts on his life, possibly by both civilian and military personal. Am I right so far?" he asked and Temari nodded while looking somewhat dumbfounded

"That would lead to a sense of bitterness against the world and possible hatred for all of humanity. However add into that a betrayal and it's enough to tip you over the edge"

"Damn"

"Thank you. However I wasn't finished, where was I? Oh yes, then with the demon eating away at his personality he begins to descend deeper and deeper into this madness, with no family to speak of and no one to guide him he just falls until he finds something to cling on to. He wants to kill you because it's a basic rule of nature that the strongest survive. And so he wants to prove himself, is that about right?"

"…Yeah" Temari looked and sounded amazed at what Naruto had just done

"Then what do you think is the problem?" he asked her

"Well, he just won't listen..."

"Because he doesn't need to"

"But…we're family…"

"One of whom cursed him when he was born; the other tried to use him while the rest all remained scared of him"

"But…"

"You and your brother are part of the issue. He likely knows very well what family should mean, but you abandoned him along with everyone else. I'm not saying you were wrong necessarily, you just suffered from that same blinding fear and suspicion as everyone else"

"We didn't know…"

"I know; that's why I said that, it wasn't up to you to make that leap of logic. However you need to admit that you are at least partly at fault here, not him, he's the one suffering the most and you are likely the best one to help him"

"How?"

"Talk to him, show that you're not afraid of him and instead love him like a sister would"

"What about Kankuro?"

"He's not the senior sibling here"

"And if he was?"

"Then I'd still be asking you, you're the eldest here and likely the most reasonable and, don't take this the wrong way, your also a woman, which means he's liable to try not to kill you and at least hear you out"

"Why wouldn't he kill me?"  
>"Don't take that dangerous tone with me. Anyway he wouldn't because you're family and some sense of morals will tell him that harming women is bad, it is, after all, embedded within our culture"<p>

Temari sat back with an astonished look on her face while Naruto sighed and rubbed his face, suddenly feeling as though he should go and join those Anbu members with their drinking. Alas he had a job to do and he doubted that either Haku or Tenten would appreciate him shirking it to go and do some heavy drinking for a change. This subject was tiring him out.

"Wow" Temari finally said while blinking like she was just waking up

"You okay now?" he asked while pouring a little more drink into her glass, but not too much.

"Yeah, thanks" she replied and he nodded "and thanks for the advice, its…well, a little much at the moment" she said while laughing slightly

"I can imagine" he replied with a soft smile as she put her head on her hands and sighed as tension seemed to simply melt away from her

"Thanks" she said again, her voice muffled, and Naruto shook his head although she couldn't see him

"It's my pleasure, though I hope this'll make a difference, I am, after all, simply a bar tender" he said and she smiled up at him, causing her green eyes to light up as he raised an eyebrow at her response, but kept the soft smile on his face

"It's a shame we don't have someone like you in our town" she then said and Naruto blinked before laughing

"Thank you for the compliment Temari-san" he said and she frowned

"Call me 'chan'" she said and he shook his head, already feeling Tenten's and Haku's gazes burning into him

"Maybe once we've known each other a little while" he said and she pouted but shrugged her shoulders

"Up to you" she said and Naruto sighed internally at feeling the intense looks fall away from him. The one bad thing with knowing ninjas was the fact that they could all easily and simply smash him into little tiny pieces if he annoyed them, not that he would do that anyway, it was just that he liked his body as it was and didn't like the idea of having his bone structure rearranged by Tenten or Haku. Though Haku was far more likely to apologise than Tenten was after the horrific act had been committed.

"So, what're you going to be doing the rest of this month?" he asked her and she looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging

"Training for my match" she said and Naruto looked at her

"I meant with your evenings but oh well, whose your opponent then?" he asked and she pointed at Shikamaru. Naruto blinked before he burst out into laughter

"What is it?" Temari asked him hotly and Naruto chuckled a little before looking at her with a smile

"You won't need to worry about him" he said and she blinked at him

"Why not, aside from the fact he's lazy and sexist" she said and Naruto chuckled

"Precisely that, his weakness is his laziness and hidden arrogance" he said and Temari blinked at him  
>"Arrogance?" she asked and Naruto shrugged<p>

"He's a genius and he knows it, his 'sexist' nature means that he probably won't take you seriously, so I'd get in there fast and beat the crap out of him if I were you, the longer he's there the longer he has to think up a plan" he said and she nodded, showing that she was taking his advice on board without complaint, he did seem to know best after all.

"What about your other question?" Temari asked and Naruto smirked a little

"Nothing meant by it" he said and she pouted a little

"Fine, but expect to see me here more often, this is good stuff and you're certainly better company than my sensei" she said and Naruto raised an eyebrow but decided not to press the issue, he had already talked her ear off after all.

"Well I could certainly use the company. I would ask you to bring your brother here as well but then I certainly wouldn't get any business" he said and she looked away looking a it troubled

"I'm surprised no one walked out when I walked in" she said and Naruto chuckled

"If they had then it'd been their loss and they know it, same with if they had tried to start anything, I have thrown Jonin level ninjas out of here before after all" he said and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow

"Really?" she asked and Naruto chuckled

"Hard to believe I know, but our laws are different here, and I am certainly not afraid to use them" he explained and she nodded

"So what about me?" she asked and Naruto smirked

"I would've thrown you out if you and Tenten had gotten into it" he told her bluntly while moved to pull another black bottle off of the shelves when he noticed the three Anbu's looking over at him

"Why just me?" Temari asked with a small pout and Naruto chuckled

"Because Tenten's my friend, you just beat her, and she knows not to do it, so it would've been your fault anyway" he said and she blinked before frowning

"I hate it when civilians are right" she muttered and Naruto chuckled

"By the way, if you are going to come here every night I must warn you that civilians will be in here most of the time, though they generally stay away from the bar area"

"Why's that?"

"Hell if I know, it's probably because of Tenten and the other one"

"Other one"

"Anko, the head examiner for the second exam"

"I see"

Naruto noticed that just Anko's name and made Temari shiver and he had to wonder about just what side of herself Anko had shown them to make the blonde in front of him fear her so much that she shook at the mere mention of her name.

"Sadistic bitch" he heard Temari mutter and Naruto nearly burst out into laughter again "what?" Temari asked when she noticed Naruto's quiet laughter

"Nothing" he told her, waving her off as he chuckled at the thought of what Anko must have done to make Temari think she was that sadistic.

"She wasn't that bad" Tenten said suddenly

"Not that bad?" Temari asked as though the sentence made no sense and Tenten just nodded while Naruto chuckled again

"Yeah, it's not like she could turned up in _that_ outfit again" he said and Tenten shivered

"Don't remind me" she muttered and Temari looked between them with a slightly frown

"She once turned up smiling from ear to ear while dressed in leather" Naruto told her and Temari paled slightly at that image "yeah I thought you'd get it first time" he said and she shook her head vigorously as though trying to rid herself of the image that had no doubt implanted itself in her mind's eye now.

"I really didn't need to know that" she muttered and Naruto chuckled while signalling for Haku to take the drink he was holding out to her, she went over to the Anbu's who most likely greeted her the same way they did most people that weren't either one of them or Naruto, that being with cold disinterest that certainly seemed to make Haku uneasy around them if her body language was anything to go by. Naruto shook his head and turned his attention to the two women in front of him. They were glaring silently at each other until Naruto coughed loudly

"Am I going to have to lock you two in a room until you learn to get along?" he asked and they looked at him hard while he looked back with a look that told them he was certainly serious. They decided that, no, they did not want to be put in a small room together and so pulled back slightly and turned away from one another.

"Good enough" Naruto told them and they both shot him a glare that he ignored

"She…" Tenten began but Naruto narrowed his eyes at her

"What?" he asked and she clamped her mouth shut, knowing full well that Naruto was not in the mood to deal with them both fighting at the moment.

"Nothing" she muttered and Naruto nodded while pouring her another glass which she took as a good sign that he wasn't too angry at her at the moment as she sipped at it while sighing, the pain from her battle still bothering her, from what Naruto could see, especially if the constant tension in her shoulders was anything to go by, which it usually was with her.

"Well I hope you two learn to get along given how like each other you are" Naruto said and he swore he heard their necks nearly snap as they turned to him then looked at one another before looking back at him

"I'm nothing like that bitch" they both said in unison while pointing at one another and Naruto burst out into laughter once again while both women blushed at what they had just done

"Well I think that answers that question doesn't it?" he teased them and they both just huffed while looking away from him, which he smiled at.

"Whatever" Tenten muttered and Temari grunted in agreement with her while Naruto looked at the two in amusement before looking around the room, wondering where Anko was after all this time.

It was around three when the last of his patrons left, those being the three Anbu that had been seated, chatting quietly amongst themselves for most of the evening. He was sitting by his counter with his head resting against the cool table top.

"I'm taking a vacation once this is over" he muttered, listening to the sounds of Haku washing up in the kitchen behind him as he sighed and pulled down a bottle while seating himself at a table and putting his feet up while sipping from a glass and watching the liquid swirl lazily in the bottle while he sat and relaxed for a moment.

Suddenly the door swung open. Naruto didn't even blink at the unexpected visitor as he turned his head to see a rather worn out and exhausted Anko standing there with a look of extreme tension on her face that Naruto knew well enough. It wasn't often he saw her so wound up and so he simply gestured to the seat opposite from him while standing up to pull another, much stronger, drink from his shelves and pouring her a glass.

She drank silently as he watched a little of the tension bleed out of her body as she returned to a more or less normal state.

"Thanks" she said simply once she'd finished with her drink. He said nothing and simply poured her another which she took with a nod as he sat there watching her, waiting for her to say whatever it was that was apparently plaguing her mind at the moment.

"Naruto-kun I…" she trailed off and he waited patiently for her, he was absolutely shattered, but this sort of thing had happened before and he knew that he had just about enough energy to keep himself awake for a little while longer.

"I met my old sensei" she said at length and Naruto narrowed his eyes. He decided not to think on that subject too much unless he give himself a headache and end up being grouchy the following day

"You fought him" he stated rather than asked, knowing full well the level of hatred Anko held for the man that had betrayed her and left her for dead somewhere. But that did not mean that he had to like the fact that she had done it.

"I did" she confirmed and Naruto said nothing for a long moment before he sighed

"Why?" he asked tiredly, not quite understanding how she could have gone and done something so stupid

"Because I had too" she explained as though it was something simple. Naruto bit his tongue and refused to say anything for the moment, taking a moment to calm himself down before he even thought about speaking.

"It was stupid" he said and she glared at him

"I know" she growled and Naruto frowned into his glass, as though it was annoying him

"Then why Anko? I know bloody well that it wasn't just for revenge, what is it?" he asked and her glare intensified

"It was revenge" she said slowly and Naruto scoffed disbelievingly

"Bullshit" he said sharply and she nearly flinched at his tone and words "you knew bloody well that you wouldn't win and still you decided to fight against him. I don't know whether to be glad you're alive or extreme angry that you did something like that for such a senseless reason" he said and she all but snarled at him

"I don't want to hear that from you" she growled and Naruto's grip tightened on his glass

"I know what it feels like Anko" he reminded her

"Bollocks" she said stiffly and Naruto all but snarled, throwing the glass across the room, listening as it smashed against the wall with a rather satisfying sound that calmed his frayed nerves somewhat

"You ever say that to me again, Mitarashi-san, and you can consider me an enemy for life" he snarled at her and she seemed to balk at that slightly

"I'm…"

"Save it" he cut her off sharply "I don't want your apologies just yet. I know bloody damn well what you're feeling, but I didn't act on it did I?"

"You didn't have a chance to" Anko pointed out softly, her tone subdued with the realisation of how angry she had made Naruto

"Didn't I?" he asked her "I know how to kill and I wanted to kill so many people for so long, but I never did. And you know why? Because it's pointless, it doesn't bring back whoever died, and neither does it cure the nightmares or make that empty feeling go away. It's short-term relief at best until those demons come back to haunt you" he told her and she hung her head "and the next time you do something that stupid you can forget coming back in here because I'm not sure I'd be able to restrain myself from finishing the job"

"I'm sorry"

"I know you are, but I don't think you're sorry enough to give a damn right now. Look, quite frankly I don't care what happened in that forest"

"I tried a suicide technique"

Anko's eyes slammed closed and Naruto had to remind himself to count to ten and take slow, calming breaths while his nails scratched into the wood of the table. He had indeed heard her correctly, he knew that very well, yet his mind was having a bit of trouble wrapping itself around this concept of Anko killing herself in order to take the other bastard with her.

Eventually he felt the line snap and rage boiled up within him. He quickly smothered it and tried to douse the flames while focusing on his fingers and not looking up at Anko who was still sitting with her eyes closed and no doubt waiting for him to hit her or something along those lines. However as much as he wanted to, even now his concrete morals pervaded and he was forced to shut down that line of thought before the guilt in his stomach boiled over and started the fire up all over again.

"Kill yourself?" he asked her eventually, his voice calm and neutral, betraying nothing of the inner turmoil he was experiencing at that moment. Anko nodded and Naruto sighed while nodding to himself while reigning in his wild emotions and facing her once again.

"Open your eyes" he told her and she did so, looking at him with more than a little apprehension. She knew very well that she had seriously pissed him off and was prepared for whatever punishment he was going to give her for daring to even consider doing something so self-destructive and stupid in a moment of weakness.

However Naruto was more understanding like that, and knew very well what it was like to desire someone dead that badly. That did not mean he was going to forgive her, however, she had still tried to do something impossibly stupid and he did not like anyone he knew, especially Anko or Tenten, doing anything stupid. He didn't have to worry about Haku because she wasn't a ninja and was rather calm and kept her cool most of the time.

"Okay" he said after a while and she blinked before her mouth opened in apparent complete shock as she realised what he meant

"W-what do you mean, okay?" she asked and he shrugged a little bit

"It's fine" he said and she looked at him hard before sagging into her chair and apparently collapsing in relief

"Thank you" she muttered as she buried her face in her hands and Naruto sighed while rubbing her hair affectionately while wondering if it was bad to be this kind hearted.

_**The End**_

**Sorry for the slow update people, exams and everything are taking their toll at the moment.**

**Also the pairing has nearly been decided, so please do keep on telling me which one, or couple, you want to go with Naruto.**

**Thank you for reading and please do Review.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"So I take it he's less inclined to randomly murder you now?"

"Something like that"

"Well it's something at least isn't it?"  
>"I suppose"<p>

Naruto was sat at a table with Temari who was nursing a glass of drink as if it all that was keeping her attached to the earth's surface.

The air was still and all that could be seen outside was the blurry outline of the moon as it hung high in the sky and its cool light burned its way through the thick cloud cover, the signalling of a coming storm if ever Naruto had seen one. The air in the bar was slowly beginning to cool thanks to the night's cold grip and Naruto's unwillingness to turn the heating up any higher than it had been.

Many patrons had already taken their leave from the area and the only ones left now were one or two Jonin's and a single Anbu who was sat in the darkest corner of his shop. He had purposefully made this day a 'ninja-only' day as he was aware that many people would be gearing up for the tests tomorrow, both the Chunin hopefuls and the various other ninjas that were the security detail for the highly anticipated event.

Although Naruto had seen a lot of them looking rather tense throughout the evening; as though seeking one last taste of relaxation before the world went to hell once again.

He was familiar with that feeling at the moment. He has been unable to get away during the month of training and so was stuck with this one night of relative peace and quiet with few patrons, though there was still enough of a profit to make it worthwhile opening up the place, even if Haku had complained nearly the whole time, not that he could blame her for that.

"You can't fix him that easily" Naruto told Temari while leaning back on his chair and watching as she sipped at her drink once again and sighed

"I know that" she pointed out and Naruto shook his head slightly with closed eyes

"You might think you do but I suspect you don't want to believe it" he told her and she flinched slightly, letting him know that he'd hit the nail on the head so to speak.

"I don't…" she tried to say but Naruto interrupted her

"Just leave him be for the moment. He appears to be more relaxed around you anyway if what you're telling me is true" he told her and she sagged a little

"If you say so" she grumbled and Naruto shrugged a little while draining his own drink, putting the polished glass back on the table without a sound

"Just see what he does tomorrow. The Uchiha's been trained by his teacher to use some rather spectacular techniques if what I hear is to be believed, after all it's just like him to try to protect his students while remaining blind to the real threat" Naruto told her with a serious gaze, she frowned slightly.

"What'd you mean?" she asked and Naruto leaned back again

"I mean certain techniques that'll let him pierce your brother shield of sand. If that happens then I guess we'll see what happens and just how much you've gotten through to him" he said and Temari appeared rather displeased

"Isn't that betrayal?" she asked and Naruto laughed

"I only told you the truth, and I'm merely a civilian anyway, so there's not a lot they can do about it even if they did find out that I've been telling you those sorts of things" he pointed out

"Why did you tell me them?" Temari asked and Naruto smirked while looking at her

"Because I don't give a damn about the Hokage or the Uchiha, I do care about one of my own though" Naruto told her and she nodded in understanding while finishing off the last of her drink.

"What about…" she started to ask but then stopped herself and Naruto raised an eyebrow while he waited for her. She shook her head slightly before sighing

"What'll you be doing tomorrow?" she asked and Naruto sighed as he turned his gaze to the ceiling

"I might be at the exam" he said softly and pretended not to notice the slight ripple that ran through her body "but more likely I'll be here so at the end people can come and get a drink" he told her and she relaxed slightly again

"Alright" she said and Naruto smiled at her

"Don't worry about it Temari-chan" he said as he stood up and carried their bottles over to the counter where he pulled out another one and walked back to their table, pouring them both a glass before sitting himself back down.

"Worry about what?" she asked as he had stopped part way through his sentence

"I'll still be here when it's all over and done with" he said and she nodded slightly, though he could see a faint look of anxiety in her eyes, though he chose not to call her on it, already knowing full well that it was because of the invasion happening tomorrow and that fact that she believed their forces would be victorious and Konoha would be crushed. He smirked a little as he thought about the surprises he had hidden down in his basement just in case.

"Good" she finally said and Naruto chuckled just as the door opened and Tenten walked in.

Making a beeline for them she sat down in the only chair left unoccupied and proceeded to pretty much collapse onto the table while caused Naruto to laugh while Temari hid a smirk of amusement behind her hand while trying to take another sip of her drink without spilling it.

"Rough day?" Naruto asked her and she growled softly while looking up at him

"You'd think he's let me have it easy since I got beaten in the exams" Tenten groused, Naruto noticing how Temari turned away slightly at that which brought a small smile to his face.

"But he's got you cleaning out the furnaces and checking stock right?" Naruto asked and Tenten made a face of disgust

"It's so annoying, and then I'm late tonight because I couldn't get away from him" she huffed and Naruto chuckled softly

"Don't worry 'bout it Tenten-chan" he told her while ruffling her hair affectionately "you can take all the time in the world tomorrow" he told her and she looked up at him

"Why?" she asked in a grumble and Naruto pretended to look surprised

"Didn't he tell you?" he asked and she looked at him curiously "Sato-san's going to watch the matches" he told and she watched while her face morphed into something resembling a mishmash of rage and something Naruto couldn't quite pin down. It was certainly scary enough to make Temari back up a little in fear of the girl, despite the fact that she had beaten her almost a month ago.

"That bastard" she growled out and Naruto chuckled while passing her a glass of drink, and probably saving Sato's life in the process, not that he'd ever know that of course.

"Just have a drink Tenten-chan" Naruto told her and she sighed while sipping at it, all anger gone in a moment as Temari decided it was safe to return to her original position.

"Thanks" Tenten muttered and Naruto shook his head

"Don't mention it, though I do wonder what exactly you've been doing all month, aside from almost getting drunk several times" Naruto replied and Tenten flushed at that.

Apparently losing in the exams, coupled with sudden pressure from work and her teammates, had been a little bit too much for Tenten to handle and she had suddenly decided to apparently try and become an alcoholic without Naruto knowing about it. It was a good thing that she only came to Naruto's place though, as he had prevented her from getting too tipsy and attacking people with the variety of dangerous weapons she no doubt had stashed on various parts of her person, not that Naruto would care to guess where those places were. Some things were just better left unknown.

"I was helping Neji train" she huffed while pouting and Naruto laughed

"Fair enough" he said "though I'm glad to see" he continued while nodding to Temari "that you two can be in a room without wanting to rip the others throat out now" he said and both women glared faintly at the other, though not enough to cause upset, neither of them wanted to chance Naruto getting mad and banning them for a little while. They both seemed to need drink more and more as the days slowly ground on relentlessly.

"Yeah well" Temari said with a slight edge to her voice

"Yeah" Tenten said with her tone mirroring the other girls and Naruto just sighed

"Behave" he told them and they glanced at him "though given how hard-headed and stubborn the two of you both are I doubt that'll happen" he said and nearly chuckled as they both glared at him with equal intensity

"I'm not stubborn" Tenten growled and Temari seemed to be in quiet agreement with he, if only because Naruto had included her in that statement as well.

"Oh?" Naruto asked with amusement in his eyes "well it doesn't matter anyway, you two are still far too alike" he said and they both glared at him even more now

"We're not alike" they both said at the same time and Naruto burst into laughter

"I think that proves my point. Regardless, I think the two of you should get to know each other slightly better before making judgements like that" he told them and Tenten stared at him for a moment

"She tried to break my spine" she accused while pointing at Temari who seemed a little taken aback at the venom with which Tenten accused her

"I said I was sorry" she nearly shouted back while standing up from her chair sharply as Tenten did the same

"So?" Tenten nearly snarled

"Settle down you two" Naruto told them calmly and the two women glanced at him, then back at each other, before they both sat down slowly, still glaring at each other as they did so.

"Say sorry Tenten" he then told Tenten who looked at him like he was crazy before he raised an eyebrow

"Sorry" she muttered and Temari seemed to relax again

"Good" Naruto said with a small smile "as I said before I think the two of you should try and get along" he said  
>"Why?" Tenten asked and Temari looked at him as well<p>

"Because you both need friends that aren't me or male for that matter" he told them and they blinked before looking at each other "and the lesbian sex" Naruto said and they both spat out their drinks while looking at him with wide eyes

"What?" they both nearly screamed and Naruto found that he couldn't stop laughing, even with two scary and powerful women glaring into his soul as though wishing he'd spontaneously combust or something of that nature.

"I was joking" he told them as he straightened himself back out before making soothing motions with his hands

"You better have been" Tenten growled and Temari nodded slowly in agreement

"I'm serious, anyway if you two got together I'd have to start sacrificing things to various gods" he said and Tenten frowned at him

"And whys that?" she asked dangerously

"Because the world would end" he told her with a straight face and she just huffed while looking away from him even as he stretched and noticed that they were the only ones left in the building.

"Well anyway I think the two of you should go and get some sleep"

"Yes Dad" Tenten mocked him and Naruto kissed her forehead causing her to blush furiously as Temari looked on with wide eyes

"Good girl" he said and she turned away as her blush apparently intensified "anyway I'll see the two of you tomorrow I suppose" he said and they nodded while walking out

"Be careful Naruto-kun" he heard Temari muttered before she left and he found himself sighing

"I'm not the one that needs to be careful" he muttered and started cleaning up, mind whirling with various scenarios and the like all based around the invasion that he was sure was coming the following day, and which he and his fellows and been planning for behind the ninjas backs. It would certainly be interesting.

The day was warm and the sky was clear. It's piercing blue vanished beyond the false horizon of trees as a few clouds drifted lazily across the clear canvas. A soft breeze played with the dust on the ground and a few wind chimes could be heard gently singing in the soft wind that carried none of the usual noise of the day.

Naruto sat on his roof and sighed to himself as he lent back and sipped at one of his less alcoholic concoctions, feeling the taste of spring on his tongue as the wind suddenly changed directions, bringing with it the sounds of cheering from the stadium that made him frown and glare at the air as though it would change directions just to annoy him on a nice day like today.

"Stop glaring Naruto-kun" Haku told him as she sat next to him, she had her legs folded against her chest and had wrapped her arms around them while she watched him as he lay back down and grumbled something unintelligible while putting his empty glass down on the wooden roof

"I swear the gods have something against me" he said clearly as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the sun for a moment

"I doubt it" Haku replied and Naruto chuckled

"Maybe" he said and he opened an eye to look at her "though I'm surprised you didn't go to see the show" he said and she shrugged her shoulders a little while turning her head to regard the quiet town

"I didn't feel like it" she said and Naruto shrugged his own shoulders

"Fair enough" he said as he sat up again "but I think we should get a move on" he told her and she glanced over at him

"Why?" she asked as Naruto stood up and jumped down off of the roof before turning to look up at her

"Because I suspect that they'll act during the final test, being between Garaa and Sasuke" he told her and she jumped down next to him

"Why?" she asked and Naruto chuckled

"Because they want to destroy Konoha, or at least Suna does, and that means finding a point which can be used to create maximum damage, such as during the finale of the tests, when everyone's relaxed and not expecting anything" he explained while he walked back into the shop and set about closing everything up and locking it all down

"But why when Sasuke and Garaa are fighting?" she asked as she helped him. He just shrugged

"Seems fair reasonable to me, if Garaa snaps as Temari fears then they'll have to start then, otherwise it'll be to create a surprise again, he's attacking Sasuke and then suddenly turns on the other ninjas around him. The perfect surprise attack" Naruto told her and she nodded in understanding as they bolted the shutters down around the shelves and cabinets.

"And the traps?" she asked and he grinned while stringing up the wire

"These ones are fairly non-lethal" he told her

"Because we wouldn't want blood getting into the wood" she finished for him, parroting him as she helped him

"Exactly" he said with a small smile "anyway I'm pretty sure they'll attack this place after the invasion starts" he said as he surveyed what they had done

"Ego" Haku said and Naruto laughed

"Not quite Haku-chan, more like the fact they haven't been able to get in here" he told her

"Whys that?" she asked as he walked her outside and shut the door before taking his place on the roof once again

"Some Konoha ninjas threatened them from what I hear. I'm not complaining but it is kinda their fault that I'm going to be attacked now" he told her as he sighed while settling back down and closing his eyes.

"I doubt they knew about the invasion" Haku pointed out to him an Naruto chuckled

"Perhaps not, but I'll be sure to remind them of it when they come back" he told her and she shook her head and sighed

"How long?" she asked and Naruto shrugged

"Don't know, from what I've heard Kakashi's been training the kid nonstop, however since he has a reputation for extreme tardiness I'm willing to back on it being the last of the matches"

"You've said that before"

"I know, I already knew it would happen, the man therefore left the rest of his team to flounder. Though I must admit Ino seemed more than a little put out at Sakura being able to nearly outdo her in terms of physical ability" he said and Haku giggled slightly

"I don't think she expected it" she pointed out and Naruto shrugged

"Well their both much better now, from what I hear from their senseis anyway"

"I though Asuma wasn't allowed in?"

"He's not, but he talks to Kurenai like there's no tomorrow, though I confess its almost enduring the way he hasn't given up on her yet"

"Is Anko-chan helping?"

"Of course she is, when I told her and her companions about Asuma I nearly felt sorry for the man"

"Nearly?"

"Nearly"

"I see. What do we do then?"

"We sit here and wait, and when that fails we can wait some more"

"Good plan"

"I think Anko and Tenten are rubbing off on you a bit too much for my tastes"

"You don't like them?"

"Of course I like them, they're my best friends, or something of that nature. Though I'd say their more like overprotective older sisters than anything"

"I see, is that a bad thing?"

"Of course not, none of us have any family so I guess it just sort of happened"

"Who are you then in this family trio?"

"Depends on what's happening, sometimes I'm the younger brother, other times I'm the older brother and I have even been like a kindly uncle to them once"

"That's…interesting"

"It is at that, but it works so I don't complain"

"No"

They stayed like that for a little while longer when suddenly Naruto's eyes snapped open.

"You hear that?" he asked and Haku nodded

"A low rumbling" she muttered and Naruto frowned

"Whatever it is it must be quite large" he muttered before turning to face the source of the sound, only just about making out a silhouette against the suns light "bugger it" he muttered when he realised what it was

"What is it?" Haku asked him seriously and Naruto sighed as he stood up, his machete gripped in one hand as he faced the wall

"A giant bloody snake. Or two" he said when he saw another one appear "looks like the walls won't be any problem for them" he muttered as he saw them shift

"Why isn't any alarm being raised?" Haku asked and Naruto frowned

"We don't have any patrols this close to the town, and most of the ninjas are in the stadium" he explained "that foolish old man didn't even think this part through" he muttered and turned to Haku who was fingering her bag of needles nervously.

"Too many" she muttered and Naruto sighed

"Don't worry about it, the council are already aware of what's going to happen so I suspect it'll all be over fairly quickly, one way or another, this battle won't even last until lunchtime" he told her and she glanced over at him and he smiled "and I'll be fine as well, I can protect myself and no doubt I'll be taken to the shelters with the rest of the population" he told her and she relaxed slightly.

"Then why aren't you?" she asked and Naruto chuckled

"Well, I've got things to do when this whole thing gets underway" he told her

"Like what?" she asked and he tapped the side of his nose

"Secret" he said and she pouted before turning her attention back to the walls just as alarms started blaring and the wall fell under the weight of two giant snakes and ninjas rushed in like a torrent of water over stones.

"Here we go" Naruto muttered to himself and then he was off.

The chaos hadn't taken long to settle in. The sounds of screams and explosions filled the air with a cacophony of noise until thinking was almost impossible, the grating sound of metal against metal intermingled with the noise, setting his already slightly frayed nerves on edge more than he would have liked.

Everywhere enemy ninjas were being engaged by Konoha forces and slowly but surely they were halting the relentless advance of the enemy into their town. Though given the strange barrier on the top of the stadium and what chatter he had heard over the radio it seemed they had not been able to protect the Hokage from the enemy's surprise attack. Not that it bothered him too much.

The smell of smoke and burning wood was already thick in the air and several fires could already be seen billowing thick black smoke up into the air that already seemed thick with death and despair.

He ignored it and pressed onwards, machete in hand as he grabbed a militia man on the shoulder

"How's the evacuation going?" he asked the man who looked a little shaken at the sudden touch on his shoulder

"It's going alright Naruto-san, almost everyone is being evacuated and half of those have already made it to the shelter. We saw quite a few enemies prowling around the original routes we had been looking at" the man told Naruto who sighed in relief, realising their little ploy had paid off and fewer lives had been lost than they had suspected.

"Fair enough, what about the stadium?" he asked and the man shook his head

"The ninjas over there tried to wake as many of the people up as possible, however it seems there were just too many enemies. Also that sand kid took off with his brother and sister" the man told him and Naruto nodded, letting him go as he picked up to a slow job towards the forests outside of the town, an area that was likely to be almost devoid of any enemy presence given the number of soldiers here in the town.

So he pushed on faster, plunging into the thick cover of trees and shrubs as he followed a faint trail left by a fair number of individuals. His hunting skills came into the play as he followed the sights of hair and faint footsteps in the nearly dry mud. His instincts were on high alert as he probed the area around him for any signs of enemy attack or the like. Not that he thought he'd be able to catch them if they were preparing to take him; they were trained assassins after all.

He carried on deeper into the forest until the sounds of battle began to surround him and he was forced to take to the trees in order to avoid being caught in the cross fire of whatever was happening below him.

He came out into a clearing where he could just about make out two shapes on the ground below him surrounded by numerous bodies. It wasn't hard for him to notice the two shapes were Konoha ninjas, especially since one was distinctly Asuma. So he pushed further into the dark forest, hoping to catch up with them before anything irreparable happened to anyone.

The next sight was of Kankuro fighting Shino, numerous insects swarming around him although from Shino's slight wobble as he directed his insects it was clear to see that he had been poisoned.

He stepped out into the light and let the two opponents see him

"Naruto-san?" Kankuro asked in surprise as Shino also raised an eyebrow

"What's happening here?" he asked the two of them who glanced at one another before looking back at him

"These guys chased after us and Gaara, so we ended up fighting" Kankuro said and Naruto frowned

"Is he transforming?" he asked and Kankuro narrowed his eyes at him but shook his head slowly

"I don't know what's happened but he suddenly declared that he didn't want to fight in this invasion, apparently because neither me or Temari wanted to" Kankuro explained and Naruto nodded

"Shino I hope you realise that what you and your comrades have done is essentially illegal according to the rules of engagement" Naruto told the boy who frowned but appeared to relax slightly "your enemy did not wish to fight, so therefore this puts you lot in the wrong. Regardless, just let Kankuro here go and nothing with come of it" he said and Shino paused of a moment before nodding

"Thank you Naruto-san" Kankuro said with a tilt of his head before he hurried off, followed by Naruto along the ground who was steadily getting a bad feeling about the whole situation.

Only a few minutes later they found Temari on the ground and in pretty bad shape while sand whirled around above them like a storm in which grunted and cries could be heard. Naruto sighed as he realised what was happening.

"Are you alright Temari-chan?" he asked the girl who sighed as she looked up at him

"I'll be better once we get away" she said and he smirked at her

"I'll try my best. Does your brother know my name?" he asked her and she nodded

"We spoke about you sometimes, I think he was interested as to how a living weapon could live such a normal life" she said and Naruto chuckled

"This is hardly normal" he pointed out and she grinned wearily at him.

He looked up and quickly climbed up the tree

"Gaara" he called out and the battle halted as he came up to the height of the battle, both opponents looking at him strangely as though he was a new kind of creature they had never seen before.

The trees had been badly damaged, with many of them stripped of bark and leaves while others appeared to have been cut cleanly in half. Naruto noticed that there was a lack of any Sakura in the vicinity which he had expected; she was still in the stadium fighting off the invading ninjas. Also Gaara appeared almost normal, no weird growths of sand or anything which Temari had told him preceded his full transformation into the one tailed demon.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto" Naruto told Gaara who narrowed his eyes at him

"What are you…?" Sasuke tried to ask

"Later Uchiha. Gaara, please stop" Naruto said and Gaara growled slightly

"You are the container?" he asked and Naruto nodded

"I am"

"Yet you are not a weapon, neither do you kill" Gaara observed and Naruto nodded once again "why?" Gaara asked and Naruto shrugged

"I found a different foundation for my existence" he said and Gaara nodded slowly

"You…care for others" he said slowly as though it was a struggle to make the words

"That's right, just as your sister and brother care for you" Naruto said and Gaara nodded

"I, I know that they care. Temari has told me often, I think I see your point now" Gaara admitted and Naruto nodded

"I hope so Gaara. So I would like you to stop trying to kill him and leave with your siblings" Naruto said  
>"You can't…" Sasuke seethed at him but Naruto waved him off<p>

"Though you're free to restrain him in some way" he said and Gaara nodded while turning to Sasuke who was too late to dodge a burst of sand that locked him against a tree and stuck him there

"Done" Gaara said before jumping down to join his siblings as Naruto slowly climbed down before finding himself in a crushing hug courtesy of Temari

"Thank you" she muttered into his shoulder and he chuckled while gently rubbing her back for a moment before she pulled away with a faint blush on her cheeks as Kankuro grinned at her while she apparently held herself back from murdering the smug look on his face.

"Don't mention it" Naruto said before any of the them could say anything before he heard something a little way off behind him "now get going before the others arrive" he said and the three all nodded and disappeared into the forest while Naruto made his way back the way he had come.

The smoke was beginning to clear when he arrived back at the stadium. The siege had been broken and the enemy had apparently decided to retreat rather than face Konoha at its strongest, what with their main weapon unwilling to fight with or for them. But still their bodies littered the ground and blood was steadily soaking the once dusty yellow ground beneath them, no doubt to remain until the rains finally washed it away.

Many ninjas were sorting out the last of the civilians left in the stadium while Anbu crowded the rooftop above the stadium; all within the area that strange barrier had been erected at the beginning of the invasion. Naruto held no doubts that it had been Orochimaru that had been inside of it, fighting to try and kill his old teacher. He had trouble with letting grudges go it would seem.

With the forces broken and retreating Naruto knew they had won the war for now, but a feeling in his gut told him that the Hokage was not the main reason for the break. It had been the repaid reorganisation of the ninja forces and the misleading information they had been given about the civilian evacuation routes. It had left the enemy off kilter and that was all it took to break them.

But the Hokage was now likely dead. The snakes' objective was therefore completed and the battle was not necessarily a total loss for him as it was for Suna, who were now no doubt waiting to hear from Konoha about political ramifications and payment for damages.

Konoha would rebuild as it always had, the lack of deaths would lessen the blow severely but still the Hokage's death would sting for a while.

"What're you doing here civilian?" an Anbu member asked him as he stood surveying the destruction around him

"Looking for something" Naruto told him and the man clearly became annoyed

"You need to get into the shelters" he said and Naruto chuckled while shaking his head

"The siege is broken and the Hokage is either incapacitated or dead, so the war time protocols are lifted for the time being, you therefore have no more authority over me than a Genin" Naruto told the man who leaned back as though shocked before turning away, muttering under his breath as he did so.

Naruto made his way back to his shop, seeing the dead in the streets along with the fires that were only just being brought under control and extinguished with various water techniques.

But still the damage had been extensive, even the academy had been hit with explosives, and it made him wonder about just how well prepared they had actually been. There should have been protocols for these types of situations that would protect infrastructure, but apparently the Hokage hadn't even bothered with those.

He arrived back at the front entrance to his store to find the door had literally been smashed open, ruining the frame and splitting the door I two, and several men lay incapacitated on the floor just inside with nasty looking bruises but no blood. He sighed to himself as he worked to pull them out before stepping inside; finding that bottles had been broken and apparently a few people hadn't learned their lessons the first time and had stolen some of the merchandise.

How embarrassed they would be when they found out they all contained just water, Naruto would never know, but it was certainly an amusing thought to work on while he wondered about the expenses this whole debacle was likely to incur upon him.

"Naruto-kun?" he heard someone call out from behind him and he turned to find Haku and Sakura standing there, both with bloodstains covering them

"Still here" he answered with a small smile though Haku looked distinctly peeved that he had lied about going to the bunker.

"You should be in the shelters" Sakura pointed out and Naruto shrugged

"I had something to take of in the forest, ask Haku here" he told her and Sakura looked at Haku who was still drilling holes in Naruto for his deception of her.

"You lied to me" Haku growled and Naruto made calming motions while he sat on his counter

"Well well, it was necessary at the time, you would have killed me if you knew where I was planning to go anyway. Besides that I notice you weren't with the Uchiha Sakura-san?" Naruto asked while hoping to divert some attention away from himself so Haku didn't cause him to combust into flames on the spot.

"No well, he rushed off and I know Kakashi-sensei told us to keep up with him but I thought protecting the civilians was a higher priority than that" she explained and Naruto smiled warmly

"Well I'm glad to see someone in your generation has some brains. Yes, according to protocol, the civilians are first priority and then comes everything else after that" he told her and she smiled back slightly, looking a little shaken "though I think you should go see your parents in shelter three" he told her and she looked at him

"But I saw my house go up" she muttered and Naruto chuckled

"The moment the alarms went up evacuation started, the ones most at risk were evacuated first, including yours" he told her

"But they covered the routes"

"The original routes" Naruto corrected her "the civilian council changed them when we realised an invasion was likely to occur" he said and she suddenly seemed to brighten up, charging out of the shop at speed while shouting her thanks behind her.

Naruto chuckled as he watched her before looking back to Haku and nearly swallowing in fear at the look of danger he saw sitting in her eyes. He had no doubt that she was planning many different ways to kill him nice and slowly so he took a deep breath before starting to speak and hopefully stop her from killing him.

"I went into the forest" he told her and waited for things to click for her

"Where that Gaara kid went?" she asked dangerously and Naruto nodded

"I went to make sure no one got killed" he told her

"What can you do?" she asked dangerously "you're just a civilian" she said and Naruto twitched at the sting of those words

"I'm a civilian that saved your life and then went on to straighten out more than a few people back here. So I can do quite a lot it appears, including preventing Gaara from killing the Uchiha and all the rest stupid enough to chase after him" he told her and Haku seemed to deflate a little at that

"You could have told me" she said sharply and Naruto sighed

"No I couldn't, you were needed here more than I needed you"

"You could have been killed"

"So could you"

"But I'm a trained ninja"

"I'm not unarmed and neither am I your average civilian, remember those thugs I took out a little while back?"

"They were just bandits"

"Just leave it Haku, it's done now"

"No, because you'll do it again"

"Even I'm not stupid enough to go looking for those types of situations"

"Still…"

"No, this conversation is over and I suggest you get to grips with it, I've had this conversation with Tenten and Anko before, though I think they'll react just as you are when they find out what happened"

"But you're a civilian"

"Yes, well, as I've proved before, I can look after myself and I don't take unnecessary risks. I bet I could be angry at you right now as well when I find out what you've been doing"

"Maybe…"

"Then don't rage at me without a reason, it tastes bitter"

The two of them settled into silence before Naruto sighed and walked over to pull her into a hug that she didn't resist. Haku just sighed and accepted the embrace, both of them standing like that for a few moments before pulling apart to start fixing up the shop as best as they could. Sweeping up the broken glass and cleaning up the spills that had occurred while they waited for something else to happen.

It was not until later that Tenten finally walked into the shop. Finding Naruto sitting on his counter while Haku sat in one of the unbroken chairs looking exhausted

"You look shattered" Tenten teased and Haku waved her off as Naruto chuckled slightly and she turned to him

"You weren't in the shelters, I and Anko nearly had a heart attack before someone told us you were here" she accused him and Naruto raised his hands in a placating gesture

"I'm well aware of my apparent sins, but I had something to take care of" he explained calmly to her

"What?" she demanded and he shook his head before she rounded on Haku only to find that she had fallen asleep on the chair she was sitting upon.

"You'll find out eventually" Naruto told her and she frowned

"Is it that bad?" she asked and Naruto shrugged

"That depends on your point of view, but we'll see later. Though if you came here for a drink your out of luck for the moment" he told her and she huffed

"I wanted to see if you were okay" she said and Naruto laughed

"I know that Ten-chan, but still I was serious. All my stock is locked tightly up downstairs and I have yet to take any of it out. Given the state of my shop and all" he explained and Tenten nodded

"Ours didn't get touched" she said and Naruto laughed

"No doubt Sato scared them off just by scowling at them" he said and Tenten smirked slightly

"Maybe" she said, suddenly subdued and Naruto sighed

"The Hokage's dead isn't he?" he asked her and she nodded slowly

"Took the bastards arms, but he still got away" she said and Naruto nodded

"I bet Anko feels responsible in some way" he said and Tenten nodded again

"She'll be here once everything has been sorted out at Anbu headquarters" she told him and he sighed while rubbing his face

"What about a successor?" he asked and Tenten shrugged

"I guess it'll be one of the other sannin's" she told him and he groaned slightly

"You mean either that pervert who runs our information network or the drunkard? Not that I dislike the second choice, it's the first one I have issues with" he told her and she blinked at him

"Pervert?" she asked and he nodded

"Those books Kakashi reads? Their written by that man" he told her and she growled

"Really?" she purred dangerously and Naruto chuckled at the look of rage on her face

"However he'll likely be sent to go find the second choice" he told her and she nodded. It made sense as they couldn't have their resident spy-master be tied down as the network would then simply fall apart by itself.

"Well whatever, send Anko here when you can, I'd like to talk to her" Naruto told Tenten seriously who nodded before Naruto smiled and hugged her as he had hugged Haku a little while ago, leaning down to kiss her cheek before he let her go

"See you later Naruto-kun" she called out, faint blush on her cheeks, as she nearly ran out of his store and Naruto chuckled as he allowed himself to relax for a few precious moments, having no doubt that soon things would get hectic again. What with the fixing of the store and then the fact that the Uchiha was likely to bitch to the council about what had happened within the forest between Naruto and Gaara and his siblings.

He didn't expect to be punished for it, the main players on the civilian side would be more than enough to stifle any cries of outrage, and so he'd be fine. Not that it would help his business any, some civilians really did treat the boy like he was gods own son.

He sighed and leaned back on a chair, putting his feet up he closed his eyes and tried not to fall asleep just yet.

He was awoken by something brushing against his face. His eyes snapped open to find Anko looking down at him with a small smirk of amusement on her face as she watched him glance around the empty room before sighing and rubbing his face

"Good afternoon Anko-chan" he muttered and she chuckled

"With the way you were sleeping I thought I'd be here all night" she replied and Naruto sighed again

"Sorry 'bout that, but it's all been a bit hectic" he muttered and she nodded and it wasn't hard for Naruto to see the sadness in her eyes, hidden and buried for the moment, a person far too used to burying such sorrows.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Anko asked him and Naruto blinked before nodding

"Yeah, hold on" he said as he reached under his counter a pulled out a bottle

"Aren't those fakes?" she asked and Naruto shrugged

"This one isn't, I figured that if something went wrong I'd need something to keep me company" he told her and she nodded as he found two intact glasses and put them in-between them and poured them both a drink. Both of them downing it as quickly as possible.

"I'd missed this" Anko muttered and Naruto sighed

"Well unfortunately you're going to have to miss it for a little longer, the shops been ruined so it looks like I'll be shutting down for a little while" he told her and she pouted slightly

"That's not fair" she muttered and Naruto smiled softly

"It never is" he replied and she looked up at him "especially with what happened to the Hokage" he said and watched that sadness flare up in her eyes again as she clearly took a moment to compose herself

"What d'you mean?" she asked with a voice that only shook a bit

"It wasn't your fault" he told her bluntly and she leant back slightly  
>"I-I know that" she replied with a tremor in her voice<p>

"I don't think you do" Naruto replied as he poured them both another drink "your old sensei being here, the invasion, you somehow think that it all was somehow your fault" he told her and she clenched her fists

"Well it was…"

"That's crap and you know it. You could no more have prevented this than you can stop the sun" he told her harshly and she recoiled back from the anger in his voice

"But…"

"I don't want to hear it. You weren't responsible for his death, he was" he told her and she looked up at him sharply

"How can you…"

"With ease, I hated that man. He died because he failed to respond quickly enough. We on the civilian side realised what was happening and moved to protect our own, it was up to him to do the same but he failed" he said and Anko seemed to slump

"But still…"

"Yes the snake had a damned good plan; however it fell apart at the last moment so the invasion failed rather spectacularly. But the snake still did what he wanted to, so its all done for now" he said softly and Anko looked away

"His funeral will be held in two days" she muttered and Naruto frowned

"I won't be attending it" he told her bluntly

"Why not?" she asked and Naruto sighed while putting his raised glass back down onto the table

"Because while he helped you he did nothing but attempt to manipulate me, something which I did not appreciate at all. So as far as I'm concerned he's nothing more than another dead leader like the fourth" he said and she looked down, apparently ashamed of his statement

"Would you go for me?" she asked softly and Naruto stopped for a moment and struggled to compose himself and think logically

"I…would" he told her and she looked up at him with a bright smile that made him sigh

"Thank you Naruto-kun" she said happily and he shook his head

"The things I do…" he muttered and Anko laughed

"I'll see you tomorrow Naruto-kun" she almost chirped as she walked out of the store.

Naruto just rubbed his face and tried not to punch himself at what he had just agreed to. Instead he walked upstairs and decided to get some sleep before the next nightmare began.

The sun was bright and shining the following day. A few clouds dotted the blue sphere above him as he worked to fix the door frame so he could fit the door itself, sweat trickling down his face and neck as he worked in the intense heat that had driven many others inside.

Work had already started on repairing many of the damaged areas of the town while a guard was posted at the breach in the wall where the two snakes had come through yesterday. Already the bodies had been removed, probably in the night so the civilians didn't have to see the fairly extensive carnage the brief but brutal battle had caused.

Builders were everywhere, materials being pulled from various warehouses without charge as everyone set out to try and fix whatever had been broken, including a few lives. Despite Naruto and the councils best efforts various civilians had still lost their lives, especially if they were near the wall when it broke down, multiple houses had been destroyed when that had happened and the enemy ninjas had no doubt followed standard battle tactics and rule of engagement, in that they had killed just about anything that wasn't wearing the same uniform they were.

It would take a long time to fix the rift that was now in-between the two military states, though it would eventually be healed, especially as it was in both places best interests to do so. Suna to avoid massive reparations and to gain back some economic ability, while Konoha had just realised that it literally had no real allies to count on when something like that happened.

"Still working hard then Naruto-san?" someone called out to Naruto as he wiped his sweat and turned to face the speaker

"Oh Sato-san? Yeah, it's a pain" he said to the large man who was carrying a large plank of wood with relative ease

"I can imagine, though at least they didn't hit my store" the big man said and Naruto shook his head with a laugh

"Knowing you simply looked at them and they ran away" he said and Sato laughed deeply

"Damn right. Haven't seen Tenten-chan around have you?" he asked and Naruto shook his head as he started back up on his work

"Not today, though I suspect she's probably with her teammates or something" he said and Sato hummed to himself in thought as he shifted the piece of wood before starting to walk again

"See you later Naruto-san" he called out as he walked off.

Naruto grunted in reply and tried not to swear as he finally managed to fix the accursed thing into place just as Haku appeared with something to drink.

"Here" she said as she handed him the glass and he downed it quickly, sighing in relief as he did so

"Thank you Haku-chan" he muttered and she nodded

"Do you know what'll happen now?" she asked and Naruto shrugged

"Apparently the council are dispatching the toad to go looking for the slug once the funeral is done. But I get the feeling something unexpected will happen" he told her and Haku looked up at him in confusion before shrugging

"Whatever" she muttered "need any help?" she asked and Naruto chuckled

"Not right now Haku-chan, though if you really are that bored you tidy the inside" he told her and she pouted but did as she was told which made Naruto smile, even as he turned to regard the door that he now had to fit by himself, it did make him wonder where most of the ninjas were, considering how useful some of their abilities would be to help with the clean up and fixing up of all the various buildings and the like.

He sighed to himself once again and decided to get on with it, he could always complain about it later if he needed to. Though he now had an idea of how to get sales even with the inside of his shop in tatters, he was still waiting on the multiple orders he had sent out for new furnishings and the like, the only good thing about the invasion was it meant he had a decent reason to go out and buy some rather expensive furnishings and the like.

He sighed to himself and got back to work, all the while wondering about that feeling in his gut, telling him that something was about to happen.

"Hey Naruto-kun" Anko's voice called out, cutting through he thoughts

"Good morning Anko-chan" he replied as he measured the door again, wondering how much he could take off without destroying it

"Fixing it up already?" Anko asked as she watched him measure it all up

"You know me, money, money, money" he muttered and she laughed

"Yeah, that's all it ever is with you" she joked and Naruto smirked at her before turning back to his job

"I won't be opening today if that's what you're wondering" he told her as he put the door back down and started rhythmically shaving wood off from the top of it

"I know" Anko replied and he looked up at her

"Then why're you here?" he asked and she shrugged

"Got nothing to do" she said and Naruto sighed

"So you came to annoy me, well thanks. Although if you really want to help out you could help Haku-chan in cleaning the room" he told her and Anko seemed to think on it for a bit and Naruto stopped to look up at her, frowning slightly until she caught his gaze and chuckled nervously, walking quickly into the store. Naruto was almost certain he felt the heat in the store increase tenfold as she walked in, but decided to ignore it.

He did, after all, have other things to deal with right at that moment.

The following day people were surprised to find tables and chairs sat out in front of Naruto's store, Naruto himself sitting at one of them with a glass of something in his hand as he watched the sun rise.

"Are you sure this'll work?" Haku asked him as she finished putting the last of the chairs out.

Naruto shrugged. "Hell if I know" he said softly "but we need money to pay for the damages, that and I have a few ideas" he told her, Haku just shrugged

"I thought we had enough money" she said as she sat down from across him and Naruto smiled

"We do, but I want to upgrade the stuff we already have, the insurance payout was nothing to scoff at either" he told her and Haku just nodded while sitting back as people began walking past

"Hey Naruto-san" someone called out "open for business already?" he asked with an amused grin and Naruto laughed

"Of course I am, that's why I'm sat out here" he told him and the man chuckled

"What about now?" he asked and Naruto shrugged

"That depends on what you want. I can't be seen to be giving the builders alcohol, the last thing we need are drunken builders" he said and the man laughed

"Fair enough, see you later Naruto-san" the man said and then was gone into the milling crowd.

More than a few people looked a little apprehensive but finally began to move in and sit down at the various tables while Haku and Naruto began serving out drinks, most of them being alcoholic herbal brews, though they contained very little alcohol, or some of the stronger stuff, heated. He kept a close watch on things and made sure no one was trying to start any trouble.

It was one thing to be serving inside the relative safety of his own bar, something completely different to be doing it out in the open like this. Not that he minded much. Though he did notice that many ninjas were still missing from the mix, and it made him wonder just as to what they were all doing, aside from resting after the failed invasion attempt on their home.

He shook his head as he lent against the new door-frame and door he had put in yesterday, and wondered about when he would receive the items he had ordered from Wave. He had no doubt they'd be here surprisingly fast, Tazuna had said that he owed him all those months back. Not that he was too fussed, after all, it would take at least a few more weeks to get the whole of Konoha back up to working condition what with all the fire damaged buildings and the busted wall.

The Hokage's funeral was supposed to be today and he was contemplating what to wear to a funeral of a man he had never really cared for or about. He supposed black would be fine, though he did wonder about what he could get away with, perhaps a little white, or flip the usual colours and make the suit white while the shirt was black.

"Naruto-kun" he heard someone say and he turned to find Anko standing there, all dressed in black and looking about as solemn as he had ever seen her

"Hold on Anko-chan" he told her as he walked inside to get changed. He told Haku he was going out and she nodded while he suggested she cover the tables as the sky was rapidly growing darker with the approaching burial.

He walked out all dressed up in the best suit he had, which was reserved for special occasions just like this one, all crisp and neat. It drew more than a few looks as he took Anko's hand and gently led her to where the funeral would be taking place; a little way towards the mountains, where all of the other Hokage's were buried.

They arrived as rain began to fall. Lines of mourners in orderly rows stood, some as silent as the grave they were looking at, others openly sobbing, like the old man's grandson, who couldn't stop his tears from flowing even as the rain grew heavier.

The preacher carried on, the waver in his own voice signifying the emotions he felt for the man they were burying. Thunder crashed overhead and Naruto turned his head skyward to regard the heavens as they crashed water down all around them. He wondered about the fact that he had never liked the man, and whether he was the only one who didn't believe him to be a kindly old man like all the rest, and why that was.

The answer was easy but he stood still and said nothing as one by one they walked up to lay something on the grave.

When it came to be his turn he placed a single white flower, like so many before him, and then stood there, staring at the image of the smiling man. He opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head as he walked off to wrap Anko in a tight embrace and comfort her as he pulled her away from the solemn atmosphere and back to his shop, where he sat her down and kept her company well into the night.

The following night Naruto was sat outside on one of the few chairs that he been left out there. No one else was at the store, a nice change for once, either because of the previous day's funeral or because they had worked themselves far too hard for what had happened.

So he was surprised when two people suddenly took up seats across from him. One a fairly young woman with black hair and a pink…pig in her arms. The other had on a cowl but her shape was still distinctive, Naruto had to wonder about the efficiency of their boarder guards if they did not even know who this was.

"Well now" he said as he pulled out a couple more glasses and a bottle from underneath the table, his planning having been to spend quite a while out there, enjoying the silence and giving him time to think about various things that had forced themselves onto his mind. "This is a surprise" he finished as he poured them all drinks before sipping at his own

"What is?" the woman in black hair asked and Naruto chuckled while shaking his head slightly

"Where are my manners anyway? My name is Uzumaki Naruto, owner of the wreak of a shop next to us" he said and the two glanced at one another before the black haired one turned back to him

"I'm Shizune" she introduced herself

"And I'm…"

"You are Tsunade, greatest medic and known as the 'legendary sucker' in various places, a well known gambler and alcoholic" he said and she woman frowned deeply at him

"How did you know?" she asked and Naruto laughed

"You are pretty distinctive Tsunade-san, so that's how I know you. So now then, I wonder what you are doing back here?" he asked and Tsunade paused for a moment

"We came here to view your shop" she admitted and Naruto smiled ad inclined his head slightly

"Thank you very much, I apologise, then, for it being in the state that it is. In a few weeks it should all be ready to go again" he told them and Tsunade nodded while Shizune sipped at her drink

"That said, this is very good" she muttered and Naruto chuckled

"Thank you once again, I do try. One other question then, how long do you intend to stay here?" he asked her seriously and they both shrugged

"As long as necessary" Tsunade admitted and Naruto frowned slightly while tracing the rim of his glass with a finger

"I see" he replied

"Is something wrong?" Shizune asked and Naruto looked up at her before smiling

"Nothing to worry about for now, so then I'm guessing you both came to try some of my more famous concoctions that are hidden away inside of my store. Just give me a moment and then we can all drink this night away" he told them while standing

"Are you okay?" Shizune asked and Naruto smiled at her again

"I attended a funeral yesterday, it reminded me of my own mortality is all" he told her as he walked off into the shop to retrieve the items he needed.

_**The End**_

**Thanks for being patient people, the last few weeks have been a nightmare for me. I will try to get these out faster from now one.**

**Also as one last point, I will be deciding on a pairing when the next chapter comes out, so keep those votes coming.**

**Cheers people.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The night air was still. The darkness was destroyed by the lights from the shops windows coupled with the pale moon overhead as its many companions gazed down on the world.

The chill was quite total by this point and although it was not quite cold it was enough to keep Naruto awake as he sat in front of Tsunade and Shizune. They were sat on wood tables and chairs that had been laid out the following day and were arranged slightly haphazardly compared with how they had looked inside of the mostly damaged shop.

A bottle of alcohol sat in-between the three of them, four if you counted the pig Shizune was holding on to, looking dark red in the pale orange light from the shop, and giving it a slightly sinister look to say the least.

Naruto was nursing his own glass in one hand and he lent back while Tsunade gulped hers and Shizune politely sipped hers down, though it certainly did not escape Naruto's notice that she winced as she did so. He took her glass away and replaced it with one of the less strong drinks that he had laying around. He supposed that travelling with a drunkard did not make one a good drinker, chances were that Shizune was the sole reason Tsunade wasn't completely gone or dead at the moment.

"So…" Tsunade began and Naruto put his glass down on the table

"You make these all yourself?" she asked and Naruto nodded

"That's right, though I can tell you that getting ingredients is a pain" he told her and she nodded

"I can imagine, though I do wonder" she said with eyes narrowing "what the container of the Kyubi is doing making drinks. I would've thought that Sarutobi-sensei would've…" she trailed off as Naruto laughed

"I wouldn't talk to me about him. I held nothing but contempt for that man, trying to turn me into a weapon had the opposite effect. I found solace in books and eventually discovered that I had a considerable talent for creating alcoholic beverages and so here I am" he said and she looked at him

"From reading books?" she asked and Naruto laughed

"Not quite, see it turns out that it takes a lot to get me drunk and all, but I still used to drink to quieten the fears and the like. However eventually I decided to make my own due to the expense of getting my own, however somewhere along the line I discovered that most of my stuff was very good and so I took to creating more to sell" he explained

"And now you're here?" Tsunade asked and Naruto nodded

"That's right, I now own what is almost the most popular bar in Kohana" he told her and she nodded

"I'm surprised sensei didn't try to stop you" Tsunade admitted and Naruto chuckled darkly

"Lets just I threatened him with something that no one wanted" he told her and she nodded, apparently already knowing what he meant.

"Is it always like this?" she asked him, looking around as he leant back, finger tracing the rim of his glass as he watched her carefully

"Only after the invasion" he said and she nodded "though I am surprised neither you nor the toad were there for his funeral" he said and she shrugged

"I was busy" she said and Shizune shot her a look as Naruto looked away and sighed

"I'm sure, though no doubt there is more than one meaning to that. I should tell you that you have been chosen" he said and she nodded

"I know" she told him and he gulped his drink, putting the empty glass down as he made no move to refill it or hers

"Then what are you doing?" he asked her and she looked at him seriously

"Its a pointless position" she told him and he sighed

"Referring to the fact that all those who having taken up the mantle have died?" he asked and she looked away "including two people close to you" he said and her eyes snapped to him

"How do you know that?" she hissed and he shrugged

"I listen, I learn things. It's not hard to guess if you ask around enough, I don't know their names but that's that" he said and she looked down at her own empty glass, looking nervous.

"They wanted to be Hokage" she muttered

"It was war" he told her coldly and she shot a murderous glance at him

"They still died" she said calmly and Naruto sighed

"For this village? Yes, as was their duty, all ninjas are tools Tsunade, hence why I chose to never become one" he told her and she looked away from him

"I see" she muttered and Naruto sighed

"It doesn't really matter to me, but I think you should consider the position at least" he said and she looked at him

"Why do you care?"

"Because this place needs stability otherwise my profits will go through the floor" he told her and she scoffed

"I can't" she replied and Naruto looked up to the moon

"Don't you think it's fitting, that you will be the one to complete their dreams?" he asked and she gasped faintly "after all, I highly doubt this is how they would want you to be" he said and she looked at the glass in her shaking hands

"I…I need to go" she said while standing before Naruto pulled out a metallic flask and tossed it to her. She looked at him oddly

"One of my potent brews, when you return give it back to me" he said

"Why?" she asked and he smirked

"Consider it a test" he said and she smirked

"Your on brat" she said and walked off with Shizune in tow, looking quite bewildered at all that had just happened.

Naruto leant back and looked back up at the velvet black of the night sky as he closed his eyes and raised his glass in toast to an unseen observer.

The next day was filled with the sounds of hammering and sawing, a cacophony of noise that made it hard to think or hear anything other than the sounds of work going on inside of the shop. The smell of freshly cut wood along with a faint smell of burning floated through the air around the store as Naruto watched from the front as the builders quickly continued work on the renovations to his store, more than happy to work faster for a free sample of some of his more famous drinks.

Naruto watched against the blinding sun as they continued to refit the sign along with the entirety of the shop while people walked by, looking almost disappointed at the work as though upset at the fact they would not be getting anything of his for at least a few days until the work was finished.

"Naruto-san" someone called out and he turned to face Sato who was looking at the work with interest

"Good morning Sato-san" Naruto replied and Sato whistled at the speed the builders were working at

"That's fast" he said and Naruto chuckled

"I offered some incentives" he told the man who laughed

"I thought so, so it looks like you're coming out of all this all right" he said and Naruto laughed

"Well what can I say? The insurance money was just too tempting to resist" he said and the big man chuckled again

"Well at least I'm still closed at well" he said and Naruto nodded

"I did wonder at that, has business dried up after the exams?" he asked and Sato shook his head

"It just seemed like a good time to take a break from all this" he said and Naruto nodded

"I think that's true of everyone for the moment at least, I certainly don't envy those on the council at the moment" he said and Sato looked at him

"Is this about the Hokage?" he asked and Naruto nodded

"They'll have a job getting her to work with them for the moment" he told the man who looked at him but didn't ask how Naruto knew that.

"If you say so Naruto-san, I hear that the Jonin's are still mobilised though" he said and Naruto sighed

"I guess that means I should get this done quickly then" he said and Sato laughed

"Wouldn't want to annoy Anko-san now would you?" he asked and Naruto groaned

"She'd try to murder me" he muttered

"Try?"

"She wouldn't kill me, she wouldn't get any free drinks anymore then"

Sato laughed and patted Naruto on the shoulder before walking off back down the street while Naruto watched the building continue to take shape as the day began to slowly drag on.

"How's it coming along?"

"Ah, Haku-chan" Naruto called out to the girl as she walked up to him, dressed in her usual kimono, not that she didn't wear more normal clothes, it was just a habit she seemed to have from her past life.

"It's going well, another two days or so and it should all be finished" he told her and she nodded thoughtfully

"You bribed them" she said and he grinned

"You know me so well Haku-chan" he said while she shook her head with a small smile on her face at his antics

"Will I like it?" she asked and Naruto looked at her strangely

"Of course you will, why wouldn't you?" he asked and she looked at him a moment

"Because you're a man" she said and he blinked

"Far too much time around Tenten and Anko" he said and she laughed lightly

"How much was it?" she then asked and he shook his head "why not?" she asked

"Because you'd kill me" he said and she frowned

"I would not" she said seriously and Naruto turned away

"Besides I'm sure you'll like what's going to happen to the roof" he told her and she frowned

"What?" she asked and he shook his head

"It's a surprise" he said while smirking as she frowned deeply

"That's not fair" she muttered and he laughed

"Oh well, have you heard anything about the others?" he asked and she shook her head

"Not really, there's some rumours about a Suna delegation arriving here within the next few weeks" she said and Naruto frowned

"That'll go well" he muttered and she nodded

"It seems quite quick" she said and Naruto sighed

"Well from what I hear it turns out that the snake had killed their Kage and taken his place, so they were being played as much as we were" he told her and she looked at him

"Anko?" she asked and Naruto shook his head

"I received a message from Temari-chan telling me about it, I've been spreading it around a little and it's working wonders on peoples dispositions towards them after everything that's happened" he told her and she nodded

"Same as always" she commented and Naruto laughed

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about" he said and she whacked his arm lightly before walking off to continue shopping

"Where are we staying?" she suddenly asked before she was out of earshot

"Hotel" he replied while pointing and she nodded before walking off as Naruto tore his attention from her and back to the building works while wondering about the feeling in his gut that something was going to happen very soon, and chances were that he wouldn't like it one bit.

The next few days passed in a blur of activity as the builders finished up and the new furniture was put in place while Naruto handed them all free samples, or bottles, of his drinks and they all walked off looking rather happy, telling him that they'd be happy to do it again.

The building was now three stories tall and looked brand new. The large windows at the front were still in place though the sign above his door had been redesigned and made larger, the bottom being mostly wood compared to the rest that was painted a light beige colour that was easy on the eyes.

Inside the basement was exactly the same while the ground floor was far more spacious, being nearly double the size now, still with a dark wooden floor and light wood walls with adjustable lights as always. The tables and chairs were all brand new and more large tables had been brought in to accommodate the larger groups Naruto seemed prone to getting some nights, especially when a foreign delegation or the like entered the town to discuss something or other.

The chairs were more comfortable and, along with the tables, looked more decorative than before with carvings on the legs and the like to add more decoration to the sparse room, though a couple of landscape paintings sorted that problem out quite well.

The bar was the same one, although extensions had been added on to account for the increased room size along with the larger cabinet that sat behind it with all the drinks inside of it. They fitted seamlessly together, though the centre was certainly more used than the others.

The second floor had remained the same with the two large bedrooms and bathroom, though it had been refitted to be more comfortable. The third floor, brand new, was where the kitchen had been moved up to, functioning as a living room and study as well, its height giving it beautiful views over Kohana from the large window at the side of the room. A stair case led up to the roof.

Naruto was showing Haku through the house, who seemed rather giddy with it all.

"And here's the surprise" he said as he opened the door and showed her the roof. She gasped.

On the roof where rows of herbs growing in soil, while all around sat the various implements one would need in order to garden well. She turned to him and he nodded as she wandered off to look at all of the various plants being grown there

"It's amazing" she muttered and Naruto chuckled

"Well I'm glad you like it" he said with humour as she knelt down to look at some of them

"Are all these herbs?" she asked and Naruto nodded

"For the moment, there mostly the ones that I use in the drinks, although you can plant whatever you want after this" he told her, she looked up at him in surprise

"Really?" she asked in disbelief and he chuckled

"Of course, this was built for you after all" he said and she leapt at him, hugging him tightly while thanking him repeatedly while he hugged her and laughed quietly at her antics.

"What for?" she then asked and he kissed her cheek

"For your birthday" he said and she suddenly flushed

"Thank you" she muttered and he chuckled

"Your welcome, now come on, I need to show you how to serve these vultures we call customers" he said while gently pulling her away

"But…" she trailed off

"You can come back in a few minutes, it won't take long" he said before laughing as she started pulling him down to the ground floor, all the while wondering if he'd created a monster.

That night Naruto was unsurprised to find plenty of people lining up outside of the newly opened store hours before it was opened. He was standing behind the bar, putting away the final glass while Haku walked over and hopped over it, having just finished polishing the last table in the spacious room. She looked nervous but otherwise prepared and Naruto glanced around the room once more before walking towards the door to flip the sign around, but not before making sure that one part of the room was darker than the rest, aware of the Anbu also queueing up outside.

He flipped the sign and walked back behind the bar as the first of the customers walked in calmly, hiding their desire to come into the shop quite well, despite the buzzing of activity outside of his store. Naruto smiled at them and began to pull out bottles and glasses before people could even request their poison, his intuition paying off as the entire store quickly filled up regardless of the increased room and number of tables, leaving quite a few people standing by the bar as Naruto kept watch over everyone, making sure none of them got overzealous.

The Anbu were grouped in a corner and appeared unwilling to move until the civilian's were out of the way. Naruto grabbed several bottles, one for each of them, along with some glasses, before making his way over, the customers parting smoothly as he walked through them, nodding and smiling at them as they greeted him.

He reached the table and turned the lights down a little lower for their benefit as he put the bottles and glasses on the table before taking a seat and pouring them all a drink, the dark liquid was strong and sat in the stomach like lead, but it was warm and soothing, if rather filling to say the least.

They nodded gratefully to him and he noticing one of them fiddling with a familiar necklace.

"Yugao" he said and she turned to him, nodding slightly as he frowned at the necklace, already aware of what it meant "I apologise for not noticing sooner" he said and she shook her head

"You couldn't help it" she said softly and Naruto frowned slightly

"If there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to ask" he told her seriously and she smiled lightly

"Thank you" she said gratefully and Naruto nodded

"Stay here as long as you need" he said to them and left them to their drinks while still more customers poured in through the doorway , heading over to Haku who was doing well considering how far out of depth she seemed to be in doing this, she was used to human contact but not this much given her old masters isolation.

He shook his head free of those thoughts as the night continued to go by, with people coming and going rather swiftly and all commenting on how nice the new shop was compared to the old one, which he agreed with. More ninjas began to pour in as it passed midnight and Naruto realised that this night would most likely be one without any sleep for him.

"Why don't you head on up?" he asked Haku at almost one o'clock in the evening

"I'm fine" she huffed and he pushed her lightly, watching her nearly fall over

"No you're not" he said and she sighed

"Fine then" she grumbled, knowing that he was right once again. He hugged her, kissed her on the cheek and sent her up as the last of the civilian customers left with cheerful smiles and waves.

The atmosphere changed once they left, becoming more serious with an undercurrent of sadness that had Naruto reaching for a drink of his own just as Anko and Tenten walked in, glaring faintly at one another as they sat down in front of him.

"Drink" they both said and he handed them something before sitting down in front of them and sighing while sipping at his own drink

"Nice place" Anko commented and Naruto chuckled

"It cost me a small fortune" he told her and she nodded as he frowned

"What happened Anko?" he asked and she looked at him before hanging her head slightly

"The Uchiha kid got attacked" she said and Naruto leant back

"By Itachi" he said and she nodded while Tenten looked between the two of them in confusion

"Kakashi got hit as well" she told him and he nodded

"What was he there for?" he asked and she looked at him for a moment and he sighed

"Great, somethings going on and I've been left out of the loop once again" he muttered to himself "no matter" he continued as he poured himself a drink "so what's going on with the kid?" he asked and Anko shrugged

"Intensive care" she said while Naruto sucked his teeth

"That kid'll leave for that snake soon enough" he said and Anko tensed

"What?" she asked darkly and he looked at her

"He has the cursed mark and has now been defeated by his brother once again. He's too close to the edge Anko, far too close" he told her serious and she frowned

"How do you know about that cursed mark of his?" she asked and he shrugged

"You can't keep something like that from getting out for very long. So he'll kill someone and then leave to train with the traitor" he told her and she frowned deeply while Tenten looked confused

"Sasuke is a bastard, but why would he kill any of us?" she asked Naruto a little shakily as he smiled at her warmly

"Don't worry about it Ten-chan, chances are he's not quite that far gone yet, so we don't have to worry about that" he told her and she nodded

"Why won't the council do anything?" Anko asked and Naruto sighed

"Pressure from the civilians and Danzo is keeping him safe, otherwise I know the Hyuga and several others would prefer him to be locked up and undergo psyche evaluation" he told her and she sighed to her self while gulping her drink down while Naruto watched the two of them closely

"Aside from that, how have you two been?" he asked

"Exhausted" Anko said with groan and Naruto chuckled

"I can imagine, what with all the new interrogations and all" he said and she nodded with a sigh

"You enjoy it though" Tenten muttered and Anko turned to her with a grin only to be thwarted by Naruto touching her arm and shaking his head

"How have you been?" he asked Tenten who sighed before looking at him

"Cleaning stuff" she muttered and Naruto raised an eyebrow

"I thought Sato was closed" he said and she shook her head

"New stock in from Wave, he's ecstatic and driving me into the ground because of it" she muttered and Naruto frowned

"Want me to talk to him?" he asked and she smiled but shook her head

"Not at the moment" she told him and he frowned while making a mental note to talk to Sato regardless, since it was obvious that there was more going on than she was telling him at the moment.

"So then any more leads on targets?" he asked Anko who shrugged

"Not at the moment. Even Tsunade's dropped off of the face of the earth, chances are that we'll find her too late or something, though on the plus side we now know where some of that bastards bases are" she hissed and Naruto touched her arm once again, feeling her relax at the comforting touch as she smiled at him as he poured her another drink before leaning back.

"Yugato's torn up" he then said and Anko nodded with her eyes downcast

"Her lover died spying on the invading forces" she said and Naruto nodded

"I guessed as much, hopefully she'll be alright" he said and Anko grinned at him

"Interested?" she asked and Naruto scoffed

"Her boyfriend just died, and besides I'm not like that" he said and Anko pouted

"Fine then" she pouted

"Anyway I met Tsunade recently" he said and Anko and Tenten blinked before looking at him in shock

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Anko and Tenten both asked and Naruto leant back from them before speaking

"She arrived her late a few nights ago to try some drinks, I gave her a few and she went about her business after we talked for a moment" he explained as they looked at him before settling back down

"Did you tell her about it?" Anko asked and Naruto nodded

"She already knew about it" he admitted and Anko frowned

"Then why…?"

"Lets just say she has problems with her past, the same as everyone else"

"Fine"

"She'll be back soon enough though"  
>"Really?"<p>

"I made a bet, and with her luck she'll certainly lose and have to come back here"

"What bet?"

"You'll see soon enough"

"Fine then" Anko replied and Naruto chuckled softly

"I take it you two won' be staying here long then?" he asked as he saw the last few Anbu stand up and leave

"Nope" Anko replied "I've got more work in the mornings"

"So have I" Tenten chipped in and Naruto smiled at them

"Well then I'll see you two tomorrow no doubt" he said and they nodded before standing up together and making to leave "one last thing" he called out as they turned to face him "try not to kill each other before you get in here" he said and they both coloured slightly before leaving.

Naruto sighed and turned the lights right down before taking up a seat near the bar and leaning back in the chair before pulling out a bottle

"Black Rye" he muttered to himself while pouring out two glasses next to each other and picking up one and gently sipping at it and sighing at the effect, the taste was familiar, like home. More than a few Anbu ordered the drink regularly and he was aware at least two of them carried it on missions as well, as something to steady their nerves while they worked, not that he blamed them for that, everyone needed something after all.

He was concerned for Tenten for the moment, everyone else seemed to be doing fine, but he wasn't confident that Sasuke would not snap and end up trying to kill someone from his group, Tenten included. If he did then it was going to be a short ride to hell for him. But aside from his mental instability Naruto had a gut feeling that if that kid did run off to the snake, then he would end up becoming a major pain in the ass later on down the line.

He sighed and cracked his neck before turning to the door as someone walked in

"A bit late aren't we?" he asked the person as they moved into the faint light of the store

"Its fucking dark in here" a feminine voice complained roughly and he chuckled at how much like Anko they sounded, at least when they had first met.

"Well the store was empty save for myself" he told the person as they stood before him as he motioned for them to take a seat

"Please" he said while pushing the second glass over to them while they sat, face wreathed in shadow from their hood.

The shadow grunted and took the glass, gulping the drink down in a way he'd seen many Anbu do before, though they learned to regret that when the effects hit them. The shadow coughed and then seemed to relax slightly

"Fucking hell" they muttered and Naruto smiled slightly, never getting tired of that same reaction he always seemed to get regardless of who it was who sampled his drinks

"I take it you approve?" he asked and the shadow looked over at him, his eyes catching a faint glimpse of red hair under the hood before it was pushed back

"Yeah" they said and he chuckled

"Good enough. Now then, may I ask what someone like you is doing here?" he asked and she looked at him

"What'd you mean dipshit?" she asked and he let the insult roll off of him

"You're not an Anbu I recognise, but you're not a civilian either. So then, either your an enemy spy" he said with hands folded in front of his face "or your a merc" he told her and she grinned at him

"Smart mother fucker" she said and he bowed his head slightly

"In my position, you learn to observe the small things" he said and she seemed to nod slightly as though agreeing in some way

"Well whatever" he then muttered as he refilled both of their glasses "I'm not interested in anything like that anyway" he told her and she relaxed once again

"Still can't believe some young bastard runs this place" she said and he smirked

"Well, some of us get lucky, or get smart" he told her and she looked at him hard "from your accent and the way you talk my guess is you didn't exactly have a very good childhood either" he said and she growled

"What the fuck?" she asked and he shrugged

"I'm just saying, my life wasn't exactly peachy either. Being hated by an entire village tends to lead to that kind of childhood" he told her and she tilted her head slightly

"Why the fuck didn't you leave?" she asked and he sighed while leaning back, drink in hand

"Because all I knew was this place, and anyway, I get a form of revenge now. Besides which I also have a pretty decent, if slightly stressful, life that I built by myself" he said and she seemed to be frowning

"I see" she muttered as though thinking and Naruto sighed

"Besides I don't think wanting people dead is any good. It's good to have hatred, it can drive you to do extraordinary things. However its like a rotting root, eventually, if not carefully managed and pruned, it'll consume you" he said in a low tone and the woman straightened up

"So you don't hate them?" she asked seriously, her tone shifting drastically

"I do. I just don't let it control me, unlike our dear resident Uchiha" he said with a sighed and she leaned forwards a bit

"How so?" she asked, clearly interested as the pieces began to fall into place for Naruto.

"He recently got beaten into the ground by his brother. That coupled with his defeat in the Chunin exams makes for a very unstable person" he told her seriously "he's a step away from the edge, and it'll take very little to push him over it" he said and she nodded absently

"So, what'd you think'll happen?" she asked and Naruto frowned

"He'll go to that snake" he said and she seemed to relax again at that "but it'll be pointless" he said and she looked at him hard

"Why?" she asked

"Because power borrowed is not power gained. It's not true in the sense that it's yours or its been earned by you" he said to her and she sat back

"But power is power"she growled and he shook his head

"Not quite, it's still owned by the person who gave it to you and therefore they own you, for lack of a better term" he told her seriously while leaning forwards "besides, that snake is a traitor to all but himself" he said and she bristled before calming down

"How so?" she asked tensely

"He's charismatic and a genius. He can convince people to do just about anything, that means those under his command likely believe that they owe him something, when in fact it's the other way around. A man like that is nothing without those around him" he said and he bit on her lip

"But if he saved that person, surely that person owes him?" she asked and Naruto frowned

"If their life was generally better than before? Probably, but if he then uses them? Then no, they don't owe him a damn thing, because saving someone from that means more than just taking them away, for me at least. It means letting them live themselves, that is truly selfless" he said and she seemed to be thinking deeply on his words

"I-I see" she muttered and he smiled

"Well, hypothetically speaking" he said

"Of course" she quickly replied as he smiled

"Still, he must be rather irked having lost two of his arms" he said and she shook her head slightly

"Apparently the fucker's looking for the Slug" she said and Naruto laughed "what?" she asked

"He's looking in the wrong place. She was here a few days ago" he said and she looked at him in shock, the hood falling back a bit as she leant forwards in surprise

"Really?" she asked and he nodded

"She came to this shop in the dead of night with her apprentice and pet" he said and she leant back

"What'd she say?" she asked and he tapped the side of his nose

"I'm keeping that a secret, wouldn't want to get peoples hopes up or anything needlessly" he said and she nodded while looking irked at not getting the information she was after

"Fair enough, bastard" she muttered and he chuckled

"Well whatever, you still haven't given me your name" he then said and she looked at him

"Its manners to give your own first, fucker" she said and he nodded

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto" he said and she frowned

"I'm…Tayuya" she introduced herself after a moments pause, and Naruto was glad to see not a hint of lie in her face or voice

"Then, good to meet you Tayuya-san" he said with a smile and Tayuya seemed to colour slightly

"Whatever" she muttered and he chuckled

"Well then Tayuya-san, it's late but do you think you could take the hood down as well? It is only me here after all, and I promise I won't tell a soul about it" he said and she looked at him hard

"I can't trust you" she said and he stiffened

"You can insult me or my drinks, but please don't insult my honour" he said and she blinked before nodding

"Whatever" she muttered as she pulled the hood down and revealed her face to him.

She was younger than he would have pegged her, with blood red hair and dark hazel eyes that looked like they'd seen the worst that humanity had to offer and lived to tell the tale. He smiled at her

"Well now, you're surprisingly pretty given your attitude" he said and she coloured again

"Shut it fucker" she growled weakly and he smiled at her warmly, his attitude clearly throwing her for a loop. Then again, he definitely wasn't like most people, considering most would've given up talking to her and just raged for a while.

"But I digress" he muttered "how long are you here for then?" he asked and she looked at him oddly

"Not long" she said "why?" she then asked suspiciously

"Because I like talking to you" he admitted and she blinked in surprised

"Your insane" she muttered and he laughed

"Probably" he told her "but seriously" he said while touched her arm gently, feeling he flinch away slightly "come back some time, I've got something I'd like you to try, and besides, I could use a friend that isn't a ninja or something" he said with a smile and watched her turn her face down slightly before standing and walking over to the door

"Naruto-san" she called out awkwardly once at the door

"Yes?"

"T-thank you for the drink and…the talk, I…I'll come back" she said and then disappeared, leaving Naruto to clean up by himself and wonder about what surprise was next in store.

The following day Naruto was unsurprised with the announcement that Tsunade had returned and agreed to take up the position of Hokage. People crowded the streets and and rooftops to hear her first speech, all dressed up in the old Hokage's mantle and all.

The sky was crystal clear and the sunlight was strong enough to make Naruto wince at the brightness of it all, causing everything to stand out in painful levels of detail as the crowd shifted and murmured as they awaited the speech they had all stood out here for. The ceremony was taking a long time.

"I still can't believe she came back by herself" Anko muttered and Naruto turned to her

"I told you she would" he told her and she made a face before looking away, clearly getting annoyed at how often he seemed to be right about these sorts of things.

"Where is she?" Tenten asked excitedly and Naruto chuckled

"Well now, someone has a fan-girl streak in them" he said and she faced him while looking indignant

"I do not" she said dangerously and Naruto chuckled just as Tsunade walked out onto the platform and held up her hands to the sounds of cheering and whooping. Naruto just stared up at the balcony while barely blinking.

He believed she would be better than the last Hokage, if only because she would not try to manipulate him. However she was still the military leader in a martial dictatorship, and that meant that she was dangerous to anyone save her subordinates, if only because she held the most power in the village next to some of the larger clans. That meant he could not trust her as long as she remained in that position. A force of habit if there ever was one.

He listened to the speech half-heartedly and was surprised when suddenly she called out his name

"Naruto" she said and he raised a hand

"Here" he replied as a silver object was thrown, he caught it deftly to find his canteen in his hand, still partly full

"Looks like I win" she called out and he laughed

"Perhaps" he said with a wave as people around him looked at him oddly before he turned and walked off, not wanting to deal with any of their questions for the moment.

"So you were telling the truth" Anko muttered as they walked back towards his shop

"That hurts, I always tell you the truth" he said to her and she looked down and away

"Yeah" she muttered

"Did she win?" Tenten asked and Naruto shook his head

"Technically she did, but I won the true bet" he told her

"Which was?" she asked curiously as they arrived at his store

"Whether or not she would come back" he said as he walked in

"Where's Haku-san?" Anko asked and Naruto shrugged

"It's her day off so she's sleeping" he replied to Anko's amusement

"Some ninja" she snickered and Naruto lightly tapped her on the head

"Be nice" he told her as she pouted at him "you try doing this job day in day out" he told her and she sniffed

"Being a ninja isn't exactly easy either" she said

"Did I say it was?" he asked and she blushed

"Exactly" he said before turning to Tenten "how's Sato doing?" he asked and she groaned

"Still working me into the dust" she grumbled and Naruto sighed

"I thought as much, well whatever, I'm sure he'll let up soon" he told her and she sighed despondently

"Yeah"

"Well, you two need to leave before others get the idea that I'm open in celebration" he told them and they glanced at each other

"Aren't you?" Tenten asked

"You don't like her do you?" Anko asked softly and Naruto shrugged

"Force of habit" he told them

"How?" Tenten asked in return

"She's the leader of a military dictatorship, I don't trust anyone with that much power" he said and she nodded in understanding, though she certainly did not appear pleased

"You don't trust…" Anko began to say only for Naruto to glare at her sharply

"Don't" he snapped "you finished that sentence and I will throw you out" he growled and Anko gulped

"What?" Tenten asked as she looked in between the two of them

"If that's what you really think, then I suggest you don't come back here" he said lowly and Anko swallowed once again while looking close to tears

"Naruto…" she tried to explain but Naruto walked off

"Don't, you know very well that is one of the few things that are unforgivable for me" he said and she lowered her gaze from his glare

"I know" she muttered

"…Leave" he told them quietly. Tenten made to protest but was dragged out by Anko who shook her head at her while Naruto took a few deep breaths and tried to get his anger back under control.

"That was interesting" a voice said and Naruto snapped his gaze up to find Tayuya standing in the doorway, he frowned deeply

"Don't…" he warned, his tone much cooler compared to their first meeting, the hostility apparently taken her back a bit

"What?" she asked with a frown of her own as Naruto sighed and sat down heavily while pulling a bottle out from behind him, swirling the liquid around inside of the opaque bottle as he poured out two glasses and downed his in one

"My apologies" he said with an inclination of his head and she grunted before walking over and hovering uncertainly until he motioned for her to take the seat across from him and take up the drink.

She did so with some enthusiasm and he chuckled as she eyes the strange mixture distrustfully, it's colour changing as the light struck it

"What the fuck?" she muttered and he watched her sip it before frowning a bit

"It tastes like chalk" she said to him and he smiled

"Try again" he said and she sipped it only to frown again

"What the fuck?" she said again and he chuckled

"There's a reason that is inside an opaque bottle, the drink itself responds to the light and so the flavour changes the longer its left out" her told her and she shook her head

"This is some dodgy shit" she said even as she took another sip

"Well, you seem to like it well enough so I suppose it's fine" he replied and she shrugged

"My opinions not worth much" she said and he chuckled

"I think it is" he replied and she coughed

"Well…its interesting to see that you were able to convince that Slug to come back here" she said with a hint of bitterness and Naruto shrugged

"Well what can I say, I have a way with people, or so I'm told" he said and she snorted

"Look who's got an ego" she muttered and he smiled at her

"Hardly" he said and she shook her head as she continued to sip at her own glass of the photosensitive beverage

"So then Tayuya-san" he then said "what exactly brings you here today, I can't imagine it was simply to talk about the current Hokage" he said and she looked away for a moment

"I…wanted to talk" she said and he smiled at her, touching her arm as he noticed she didn't pull away from him

"That;s fair enough" he said lightly, his mood having improved thanks to her

"Say, what would you do if I was an enemy ninja?" she asked and he blinked before laughing

"Well now, chances are that I'd be expected to hand you over to the authorities" he said and she leaned back

"Really?" she asked and he smiled at her

"I'd leave you be, live and let live, but if you threatened me and mine then I wouldn't hesitate" he said and she frowned, apparently thinking something over before relaxing once again

"Okay" she said as if she'd made a decision

"Any other big questions?" he asked and she frowned

"I was being serious" she said

"I know"

"If you say so"

"That's my line. But anyway, at least with a new Hokage we can get back on the whole killing each other bandwagon"

"You really don't care for them do you?"

"Ninjas? I do sometimes, but I don't care for their profession. The fact I give free drinks to the Anbu that come in here attests to that"

"You have Anbu here?"

"Yeah, they'll be here tonight as well, once all the civilians have cleared out at least"

"I didn't think…how can you tell?"

"Well, the small things like the look in their eyes or the way they move give them away"

"I see"

They lapsed into silence for a moment before Tayuya stood up suddenly

"I need to get going" she said though Naruto noticed something strange dancing in her eyes as she looked towards the door

"What is it?" he asked and she opened her mouth before closing it again

"It's nothing" she said with a small smile "thanks for the drinks…and the talk" she said and then she was gone while Naruto was left to try and figure out what exactly was going on.

That night the mood in the shop was more than a little celebratory, people where drinking and chatting happily while Naruto glided around filling and refilling drinks while calmly trying to ignore the feeling of uneasiness that was growing within him. The Anbu were waiting outside and he had the distinct impression that someone else was waiting with them, if the appearance of a black haired woman was anything to go by.

"This is a nightmare" he heard Haku whine as he moved past the bar, he paused

"It's only for tonight" he told her with a smile and she pouted cutely "far too much time" he muttered as he moved back into the crowd as the first of them began to filter back out outside and the ninjas began to walk in, separating out into their usual groups as the rest of the civilians made themselves scarce at the sight of them.

"Hey Naruto-san" Ino called out as she and the rest of the Genin's took up their usual spot away from the Jonin's

"Same?" he asked and she nodded as Naruto handed Haku the drinks as she walked off to go give them to the Genin's

"Good evening Naruto-san" Kurenai said as she walked up with Kakashi hanging back slightly to Naruto's satisfaction

"Same as always?" he asked and she nodded as he handed her the sake along with her own drink before sitting back and taking a moment to rest from all the noise and clamour of the past few hours, feeling his headache slowly dissipate with the current quiet in the shop.

"So this is what it looks like on the inside" someone said and he opened his eyes to find Tsunade standing in front of him with her arms crossed, dressed in her official mantle of office

"Hokage-sama" he said levelly and she looked at him

"Whats the matter brat?" she asked and Naruto shook his head even as he pulled out a bottle and poured her a glass, much to her satisfaction

"You aways give out free drinks?" she asked as she sipped at the concoction

"Sometimes" he replied carefully as two people walked in through the door and Haku walked back up to him

Tenten and Anko both walked up to the bar and took a seat without so much as glancing at the Hokage standing only a few feet from them, much to her apparent shock. Both women looked at Naruto and he chuckled before pulling out a few more bottles and handing them over as the women relaxed.

"As I said" he said as he turned back to the Hokage "sometimes"

"So I see" she replied "though I must say, you seem a lot less friendly than when we first met" she said and Naruto shrugged

"As much as I might like you as a person, your profession and position means I can't trust you any more than this" he explained and she frowned

"I am not sensei" she said

Naruto nodded "I am aware of that, but your are still the leader of a military dictatorship, and I am just a lowly cog in the machine. So please excuse me" he said and she nodded, understanding where he was coming from. A glance at Anko found her holding her head down even as Tenten watched him speak with the Hokage.

"Anko-chan" he said softly, lifting her head to meet his eyes "I'm sorry" he said and she shook her head

"I'm sorry, I should've known better" she said and he just nodded, kissing her cheek as he stood back up

"Is there anything else Naruto-kun?" Haku asked him and he turned to regard her

"No Haku, I don't think there is, this is all that will be arriving for tonight at any rate" he told her and she nodded while yawning "and I think I'm too soft" he continued and she looked at him

"What?"

"Off to bed with you, you spend far too much time tending that garden of yours" he said firmly and she flushed

"I do not" she muffed with a pout and he lightly tapped her head

"Off" he said and she shook her head but walked off all the same, leaving the Hokage in awe

"Was she not a trained ninja?" she asked and Naruto nodded

"Key phrase being was, she's now a civilian" he said and she frowned

"It's hard to…"

"I am well aware of the effects, Hokage-sama, I see them nearly every day after all" he pointed out and she tilted her head "though I am confused, I do not see your aide anywhere" he said and she grimaced a little

"I had to shake her, she'll murder me when I get back" she confessed and he chuckled

"So your…whipped, as they say?" he asked and she shot him a dark look

"Don't" she said and he laughed

"Oh the gods have a sense of humour sometimes" he said with a grin and the Hokage looked away, muttering something as the door sudden flew open

"Tsunade" the voice called out, sickly sweet as the Hokage cringed and all the ninjas turned back to what they were originally doing before she walked in

"Shizune" Tsunade greeted with a twitchy smile as the black haired woman walked up and loomed over her seated mentor

"What are you doing?" the woman asked and Tsunade gulped

"She was having a drink" Naruto said calmly and Shizune turned to him

"You?" she asked, obviously remembering him from a little while ago

"Yep, good evening Shizune-san" he greeted her

"Good evening" she returned the greeting "I must ask you, Naruto-san, but can you please not give her anything else" she said and he chuckled

"I think you need to ask around before you decide that I'm dangerous" he said and looked at him curiously "I mean no one's ever gotten drunk on my watch" he told her and she looked around to find everyone in the bar nodding in reply to her unasked question

"I see" she muttered and he laughed

"Join us then" he said as he poured her a glass of drink "by the way Hokage-sama, this is all coming out on your tab" he said and she stared at him

"I thought…" she grumbled and he chuckled

"First one's free, the rest are not…well except for those two alcoholics next to you" he said while motioning to Tenten and Anko who glared at him

"You're the one who keeps giving it to us" Tenten said and he grabbed the bottle only for her to grab it back "mine" she growled and he chuckled

"I rest my case" he said as she blushed while muttering something rude under her breath.

"Well, that fact that you've 'tamed' two of the most ferocious Kunochi in this town speaks well for your charisma at least" Tsunade said and Naruto shrugged

"It's all about the little details, what is it you ninjas always say? Ah yes, look underneath the underneath" he said and she smiled

"As much as you don't like it, you would've made a good ninja, maybe even a leader" she said and he snorted

"I refuse to sell my soul"

"So you let others do it to make you safe?" she asked sharply and he frowned

"I do what I can to lessen the blow as the owner of this establishment. I am not ignorant, as I said, I see the effects almost everyday" he told her and she nodded

"A good leader, as I said" she replied and he shook his head

"I do not want power, it's too easy to slip up and take the low road" he told her and she grinned "and no matter what you say, I want nothing more than what I have here. Now, can we get on with other topics before I take your drink away?" he said and she clutched her bottle as Shizune laughed and the conversation moved on to other topics of interest.

Early the next morning Naruto was awoken from his sleep by a knock on his door, surprising himself at how tired he was after the previous night had ended at around three in the morning. He struggled out of bed, slipping on his usual attire and descending the stairs to open the door, finding a dishevelled Tenten, looking rather distraught, panting and looking at him

"What is it?" he asked seriously and she looked at him

"It's Sasuke, he left the village" she said and he looked at her hard

"How long ago?" he asked

"A while, they failed to bring him back"

"They?"

"The team, led by Shikamaru"

"Will they live?"

"Neji isn't doing too well, neither is that large boy"

"I see. What happened?"

"Garaa and his siblings arrived to help them, Sasuke still escaped"

Naruto sucked his teeth and swore to speak to the council at the first opportunity he got. This was not good. It was not good at all.

For now he brought Tenten in and made her tell him the whole story. Now he had more people to speak to, and a gut feeling told him this was just the beginning.

_**The End**_

**Sorry for the really slow update people, stuffs piling up at the moment. **

**Anyway, do you want me to save Tayuya and put her into the story? As a minor side character or course**

**Also, for those of you who care, Dog and Fox is on permanent hiatus for the time being, I really cannot being myself to continue writing it as it is. I may rewrite it at a later date, perhaps after Heron Blue.**

**Until the next one, have a good day guys.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"So you came here to help?"

"That's right, the Hokage wanted us here and we weren't exactly in a position to say no"

"So you weren't worried about Shikamaru at all?"

"Of course not!"

"I was only asking"

Naruto was sitting behind his bar with hands folded on the counter. In front of him were the usual people that frequented his bar on nights like tonight, with Tenten and Temari having the seats in front of him while the Jonin's and Genin's took up their respective tables. Anko having decided to join the Jonin's for once as the Anbu sat on the darkened side of the room. The night was peaceful, for a change, and for once he was grateful for the lack of customers to bother him in some way.

The lights were dimmed slightly and the tables had been pushed together in places to give people more room to sit together. The darker side of the room seemed to draw line with the lighter side, a sure sign that the Anbu sitting there were not exactly in the mood to be approached. Even Naruto didn't go over there, except to deliver some drinks as per usual. On the lighter side conversation was much more lively yet still seemed subdued what with the Uchiha's leaving and all on everyones mind.

"So you were worried for Tenten-chan?" Naruto asked Temari who was getting rather irritated at Tenten's constant accusations that she was, in some way, infatuated with Shikamaru

"I…might have been" she admitted and Tenten blushed while looking slightly shocked

The two girls were sat next to each other in front of Naruto, Tenten dressed in her usual attire, all greens and pinks, contrasting rather spectacularly with Temari's beige and browns. Naruto wondered if the old saying about opposites was true in this case.

"See Tenten-chan" Naruto said to the brown haired girl "I told you she cared" he teased and she flushed more

"I know" she muttered and he laughed at how depressed she sounded

"You should know by now that I'm…"

"Always right, I know" Tenten cut him off as he smiled at her

"Well then, I'm glad you showed up when you did at any rate, wouldn't want to lose my regulars to a bunch of Sound ninja now would I?" he said to Temari who snickered while Tenten looked at him blandly

"Does that include me?" she asked and he looked shocked

"Of course not, you're like a little sister to me" he admitted and she blushed again as he chuckled

"Stop teasing me" she muttered half-heartedly and Naruto shrugged

"I was being perfectly serious" he said before turning to Temari "so if you break her heart I'll break yours" he said and she flushed just as pink as Tenten

"I'm not like that" she said loudly

"Like what?" Naruto asked and she lowered her voice

"I…I'm not interested in girls" she muttered

"I think someone's lying" Anko cooed as she appeared behind the girl, causing her to nearly leap out of her seat

"I'm not" Temari denied hotly before folding her arms and turning away, clearly refusing to be drawn any more on the subject as Naruto shook his head

"What about you Tenten-chan?" he asked and she shrugged

"I don't mind" she admitted, causing Temari's blush to grow even more severe as she looked away from Tenten

"Well, before Temari-chan here explodes from embarrassment I suggest we move on" Naruto suggested "so, who's the unlikely person in the interrogation room?" he asked and Anko sighed

"I don't know" she admitted and he looked at her

"What do you mean?"

"She won't even give up her name" Anko told him and Naruto frowned

"What does she look like?" he asked seriously and Anko gave him a strange look before describing her as a girl with red dark red hair and a rather bad temperament "I know her" he admitted and they all looked at him in shock

"You know her?" Anko repeated

"Yeah" Naruto said, nodding "we spoke a couple of times, she was alright, if a little rough around the edges" he told them

"That's putting it mildly" Anko commented before her eyes hardened "and why didn't you tell anyone?" she asked seriously and Naruto cut her a glare

"Because I didn't know what she was here for, or that she was a ninja at all" he told her

"Bullshit" Anko fired back" if you know whose Anbu and whatnot then you'd definitely know an enemy ninja" she argued back and he growled

"Don't even think about acting like you have the moral high ground here" he said lowly as she growled back

"I do"

"No you don't" he said with an air of finality "if I had told you she would've been tortured, and only because of my word" he told her sharply "I don't do things like that" he said lowly

"So you put the whole town at stake to sate your pride?" she asked and the temperature suddenly plummeted sharply as Anko suddenly seemed to realise what she had just said to him, eyes widening as her mouth moved, trying and failing to say something that would placate him in some way

"Get out" he said softly, voice coloured with a steely hardness that made everyone flinch from the contrast with his usually upbeat and happy tone of voice, "you can insult everything save for my moral's; I will not sell my soul to the devil" he said as Anko stood shakily, obviously unsure about what to do, whether to talk to him or to simply run given how angry he apparently was with her at that moment

"Naruto…" she murmured

"Save it. This has been happening time and time again, get it together or stay away from me" he told her sharply "and if you can't understand why I would not tell you about her, which are all perfectly logical reasons, then we have even less in common than I thought" he said and Anko shivered at his harsh words and tone, he wasn't playing around

"Naruto-san" Temari muttered as she saw, for the first time, Naruto truly angered beyond his usual limits

"Naruto-kun, please" Anko muttered her plea as she faced the young man who was looking at her with eyes like cold steel

"What? Are you not the one who said those things?" he asked and she looked down "you knew very well that I would be angry, so why are you surprised?" he asked her and she looked at him

"I didn't think" she admitted, her usual defiant attitude gone at his cold stare

"Clearly. I am growing tired of our constant fights, Tenten and the others manage well enough"

"They're not like me"

"You encounter suffering however you live Anko, you should know that. But I digress, what exactly do you want me to do? Forgive you? Because that is unlikely at the moment" he told her bluntly

Anko looked away and said nothing as the tension coiled around the two of them like knotted snakes threatening to break out of control at the slightest sound or movement.

"I'm sorry" she said softly, voice nearly breaking as Naruto huffed and sat down

"I'm hearing it too often" he told her and she flinched "if this carries on, then I can't guarantee that I'll remain your friend for much longer" he said and Anko nodded

"I know" she admitted

"Then why say it?" he asked

"Because…I thought she might attack you" she admitted and Naruto sighed heavily

"Very well, but we've had this discussion before" he said and she nodded, walking off to join the other Jonin's "one last thing" Naruto called back after her "I want to speak to her before you do anything" he said and she frowned but nodded, knowing it was the only way she was going to earn his forgiveness this time.

"Are you okay Naruto-san?" Temari asked and he sighed but nodded

"I'm fine. Though I still cannot wrap my head around the fact no one foresaw that Uchiha doing what he did" he said when Kiba turned to him from the table where all the other Genin's were seated

"And you did?" he asked mockingly

"Cut the tone or I'll get you sister and mother in here" he said, causing the kid to pale clearly "and yes I did, the fact that you didn't says more for your training than anything" he told them

"But the psyche reports…" Ino tried to say but Naruto shook his head

"If they weren't doctored then they were not checked thoroughly enough. He was clearly unstable, and all it took was a little thing like losing to the Sound Four to push him over the edge. And now he's off getting training and becoming someone that could very well end up killing us" he said clearly

"Why…" Tenten trailed off

"He lives only for revenge. Once that is done then he will need something else to set his sights on" he told them "living for one goal is pointless, especially if it's a goal like revenge" he muttered "it'll burn him from the inside out until there's nothing left inside of that boy" he said before normal conversation resumed at an even more subdued level

"So you could tell could you?" someone asked and Naruto looked up to find Kakashi in front of him

"While your desire for repentance didn't let you" Naruto said and Kakashi frowned

"I find it hard to believe" he said and Naruto frowned

"I do not care, he was unstable and it was your selfishness, along with those on the council, that allowed this to happen" he said and Kakashi twitched

"Selfish?" he asked and Naruto looked up at him

"Of course, do you think this is what your teammate wanted?" Naruto asked "either of them?"

"Of course not, but…"

"You were blinded Kakashi, it is not your fault, but you let that one desire consume you"

"…I see"

"Forgiveness always starts with the self Kakashi-san, learn to forgive yourself, let go of that guilt and the rest will easily follow" he told him in a level tone "though those you've wronged may never forgive you" he said and Kakashi flinched again

"I…see" he muttered before walking out of the bar with a thoughtful look on his face

"Giving advice to Jonin's now?" Tenten asked and he waved her off

"Only when they need it" he told her bluntly "or would you prefer I start on you again?" he asked and she shook her head vigorously as Temari blushed

"But I think you'd be good for each other" he said and Tenten snarled

"Stop it" she said and he shrugged

"Your loss" he said and Tenten huffed

"Just because you're usually…"

"Always" Naruto cut in

"Usually right" Tenten said with a growl "does not mean you're right about this" she said and Naruto shrugged

"Well then I guess I'll giving you advice, like stop trying to get with Neji" he said and smiled at more Temari shot Tenten a glance

"You…?" she muttered in shock

"That was ages ago" Tenten groaned "why'd you bring it up?" she said as Temari watched her

"You…" she trailed off

"Key word being tried" Naruto told the girl who looked at him "he wasn't interested in her at all and I told as much" he said and Tenten frowned

"Didn't stop me from trying" she muttered and he chuckled

"Nope, she ran right off to go and try her luck"

"And you were right" she muttered despondently

"As always. How's Gaara doing?" he then asked and Temari smiled a little

"Better, he sleeps now at least, having gained some control over his demon" she said and Naruto nodded

"Good news for once" he said and she nodded

"Apparently their even thinking about nominating him for Kage" she said and Naruto whistled

"That's a quick turnaround" he said and she shrugged

"We need someone strong, and there's the fact that he helped a lot around the village when we got back, and stopped threatening to kill everything that looked at him" she admitted and Naruto nodded

"Well then, I wish him all the best" he said honestly "which reminds me, I think I'll be busy tomorrow" he said

"Talking to people?" Tenten asked and he nodded

"Something along those lines"

"Where's Haku again?"

"She's gotten a bit too used to the civilian lifestyle I think, she's managed to catch something" he said and she nodded

"Maybe she just needs to relax" Tenten suggested and Naruto nodded

"Probably, especially since I get the feeling that it only gets worse from here on out" he admitted

"Oh great, now I'm really going to be able to sleep easily" Tenten groaned and Temari chuckled

"It'll motivate you though" she said and Tenten pouted

"Why is everyone against me?" she whined and Naruto chuckled before kissing her cheek

"I just want you to be safe" he said before doing the same to Temari who balked before blushing furiously

"W-what?" she stuttered and Naruto smiled

"For my future sister-in-law" he said and she flushed brightly again as they began to talk about more meaningless things until it was finally time for them to leave.

* * *

><p>The early morning air chilled him as he walked towards the hospital, one of the few buildings not totally constructed out of wood in the village. The sun was just climbing into the sky so a few of the moons twinkling companions remained in the darkest parts of the sky above his head. His jacket billowed as it caught a gust of wind before he drew it tighter about himself and warded the chill away by walking slightly faster.<p>

The hospital smelt too clean for his tastes, bland to the extreme and rather a different sensation for one used to being surrounded with spices and the like. The stark white walls and floor brought an image of heaven to his mind, even as he moved past reception and walked up the stairs to the more secure wings of the hospital. He took a deep breath of the sterile air and let it out slowly as he walked out into a corridor of rooms that had bolted doors and very small windows, if any at all.

He relaxed himself and moved towards the one room that had an Anbu standing guard beside it.

The woman's black outfit and the animal mask, along with her rigid posture, set Naruto on edge but he shook it off by taking another breath as he walked up to her

"Uzumaki-san" the woman said, voice muffled by the mask.

He nodded to her and the door was opened to reveal a perfectly white room, like many of the others around the hospital. A wooden side-table sat off to one side and offered all the colour the room appeared to have.

"The fuck?" the only other occupant of the room said as he turned his eyes to her, seeing the red-head shackled to the bed set his teeth on edge but his relaxed himself once again, having had a lot of practise, and instead pulled up a chair next to her bed and pulled out a flask along with two small glasses, setting them on the table as he poured them both a drink before looking at her, leaning back with glass in hand.

"Nice place" he said and she snorted

"Bastard" she hissed and he sighed

"I'm not here to make fun of you Tayuya-san" he told her and she grunted in a way that revealed her disbelief

"That snake-bitch sent you here" she accused and he look straight at her

"I made her" he said and she went quiet

"You made her?" she asked as though she didn't quite believe it

"Emotional blackmail, I don't enjoy it, but it is useful sometimes. I'm here to talk to you" he said and she snorted in amusement

"About what? My torture and subsequent execution?" she asked and he frowned as he downed his drink

"Did you know that I knew?" he asked and she blinked

"Knew what?"

"That you were a spy?"

"You're a civy"

"Who is very observant. I knew you were there to spy on the Uchiha, but did nothing because I had neither proof nor the will"

"The will?"

Naruto held the glass to her lips and she took a drink, sighing as some of the tension seemed to leave her body

"Yes" he confirmed "I am a civilian, and that means I can have a moral code that prevents me from doing certain things, like selling you out to the council" he said and she looked at him

"Why?" she asked quietly

"Because I won't sell myself for anything, my morals are the one thing I cannot compromise upon, a strange thing to say in a village full of ninjas, but there you are. So here we are" he told her and she looked at him hard

"You're here to convince me aren't you?" she asked and he nodded

"The reason you won't compromise is due to your belief that you owe that snake something" he said and she sat back to quietly listen "but we both know that's only part of the story, you believe that the people here won't keep their word" he told her and she nodded

"Of course" she affirmed and he nodded as he folded his hands together, tapping his two fingers together as he thought for a moment.

"However those two assumptions are incorrect. As I said when we first met, truly saving someone is to give them the freedom to choose their own path, and second I will vouch for you" he said and she blinked

"What?" she asked

"At your trial, which will be held in a few days from now, I will vouch for you to be released under house-arrest" he said and she stared

"Really?"

"I know the laws of this place, I hold enough clout with the council to get the death sentence removed for you, but you will have to betray the one that saved you" he told her and she looked away from him

"I can't" she said and he nodded

"It's the one thing you cannot compromise on" he said and she nodded

"I want to, but I won't" she admitted and he sighed

"I won't force you, and I will still vouch for you, I think you are owed that much at least" he said as he stood up

"What?" she asked quietly

"Not all of us can choose our paths, ignorance is a very important part of that, and I, for one, will not condemn you for that" he said and she looked down at her clenched fists

"Thank you" she muttered and he nodded

"I will support you at the trial, you have my word" he said and turned to leave "keep the drink as well, as a gift from a friend" he said and put his hand on the door

"…I'll think about it" she said and he nodded

"You deserve at least a chance" he told her before slipping through the door.

Standing on the other side he sighed and turned to the Anbu who was looking at him

"What?" he asked

"That's the first time she hasn't screamed or threatened someone" the woman told him and he shook his head

"It's all about how you approach things" he said and walked off and out of the hospital.

Outside he took a deep breath and let it out slowly before her started walking again, well aware that this could very well make an enemy of the Hokage and military portion of the council. But he was a civilian, things like that weren't meant to mean anything to him.

* * *

><p>That night was more subdued than Naruto could ever remember. After the usual influx of civilians the Ninjas had entered but the lack of certain people lent the nights air a depressed tone that seemed to linger regardless of what people spoke of. He could already guess the cause and was not looking forward to the eventual resolution of that particular problem in a few days time.<p>

"Are you alright Naruto-kun?" Haku asked him and he smiled at her

"Of course Haku-chan" he replied

"Hmm, if you say so" she replied with suspicion colouring her tone as Naruto sighed and sat down behind the bar.

Anko hadn't turned up, neither had Tenten or any of the other major players that usually came out to play around this time of night. Some would be dealing with their own problems while others were likely running errands for the clean up that was still underway.

"Naruto-san" someone suddenly said and Naruto looked up from the counter-top to find Shikamaru standing in front of him

"Good evening" he replied as he stood up

"Can I…talk with you for a moment?" the spiky haired boy asked and Naruto nodded as Haku made herself scarce

"What is it?" Naruto asked the young man who took a seat and sighed

"I wanted to ask you for advice, we've all seen how Sakura changed for the better so…" he trailed off and Naruto chuckled while pouring them both a drink and pushing the glass in front of Shikamaru

"Please" he said and the boy nodded before sipping at it "you thought I would be able to provide you with some kind of advice?" he asked and Shikamaru nodded

"I think we're strong now but I don't know how we can go further" he admitted and Naruto nodded

"Power is knowledge" he said and the boy looked at him

"I know" he replied and Naruto smirked

"But you do not understand why. In this kind of world power gives you the ability to manipulate and control events, and power is little more than having control over something or other" Naruto explained to the young man who listened intently "therefore my advice to you is learn of your enemies" he said and Shikamaru frowned

"But how…"

"You can get a Bingo Book from the Hokage tower, use that and conduct research, at least then you'll be prepared, though form what I hear you'll likely come up with various strategies to defeat said adversaries" Naruto told him and Shikamaru looked thoughtful

"Why do you know that?" Shikamaru asked curiously, and it wasn't hard for Naruto to see the gears turning as the boy tried to figure out who Naruto exactly was and why he knew all of this stuff that most ninjas didn't, at least at Genin level.

"I pay attention, you'd be surprised how much you can learn once someone has had a bit too much to drink" he admitted

"But I thought…"

"That I stopped people having too much? You're correct, but I can't be everywhere at once, so the most I can do is stop them from going too far over the edge"

"I see"

"So, my advice is to learn as much as you can about the top enemies first and then work your way down" he said and Shikamaru looked at him

"Because the weaker ones will be easier to deal with, so complex strategies may not be needed" he said and Naruto nodded

"That is a big part of it, one last thing, your team is primarily for information gathering, so the actual combat abilities of the team as a whole are pretty poor. So if I were you I'd come up with some different combos and probably practise various scenarios" he told the boy who was nodding slowly

"I see" he muttered and Naruto smiled

"I don't claim to know what's going to happen next, but for what its worth, you should at least be prepared for it" he told him and Shikamaru nodded

"Thank you" he said absently as he walked off past the table where his team was sitting and out into the cold air of the night, clearly too lost in his thoughts to care about much for the moment.

"More advice?" Haku asked him and Naruto nodded

"Of course, its worries me that they come to me, of all people, for advice. I'm just a simple barkeeper" he said and Haku giggled

"Your hardly simple" she said and he shrugged

"Still, it makes me wonder about how prepared any of them really are for battle" he muttered and Haku looked at him

"They're not ready?" she asked and he shrugged

"I don't know, and even if I did I can't do anything about it, the Hokage is the one who decides that sort of thing" he told her and she nodded while looking at the gathered Genins

"Worried about Tenten-chan?" she asked and Naruto smirked

"Of course I am, bur at the same time she's probably the most likely one to survive all of this" he admitted "after all I've been giving her advice for the better part of two years now" he told Haku who nodded at his explanation

"What of Anko-chan?"

"I don't know" he admitted solemnly "if she runs into Orochimaru again then chances are she'll die, just to take him with her" he said and Haku looked shocked "hatred is an awful thing Haku-chan. I've spoken to her before but clearly I'm not getting through. Childhood trauma is a powerful thing after all" he said and she nodded her head. He knew full well that her own childhood had been less that sunshine and roses, but she had not become something driven by hatred or passion, indeed she had become like the ice she wielded, cold and a tool for someone else's dream.

"I know what that feels like" Haku muttered and Naruto hugged her tightly for a few moments

"I know you do" he muttered into her hair "but at least I don't have to worry about you" he said as he sat back down and she looked at him

"Why not?" she asked and he smirked at her

"You're the most powerful out of the three of you girls" he said and she flushed at the compliment

"Thank you" she muttered and he chuckled

"You're welcome, despite the fact that it's very much a true fact. I just hope you're not out of practise with this easy life" he said and she pouted, turning away with her arms folded as he laughed at her reaction before kissing her cheek gently

"I'm joking" he said and she blushed again but stopped pouting at least.

* * *

><p>The council room was full for the trial of one of the sound four. The semi-circle of seats that rose up in rows were filled on one side with members of the civilian council, the other was only sparsely populated with people from the military council, including the Militia captain and the heads of various clans.<p>

At the centre of it all stood a slightly raised area one would stand on when taking the floor. It was there that Tayuya was stood, head bowed and hands shackled as the assembled groups got ready to stage the trial. From the head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi, dressed in formal white kimono, to the head of the Inuzuka clan, dressed in less than formal attire.

Naruto himself was little more than a guest, granted access due to both his reputation and the clout he was known to hold with the civilian side of the council. He was dressed in a clean white shirt neatly tucked into dark trousers with a waistcoat finishing the look off, giving him a surprisingly serious air that put a few people of kilter.

"We will now begin the trial of a member of the sound four" Tsunade declared loudly from the side, causing all light conversation in the room to die away immediately as all eyes turned to regard the prisoner

"First the charges shall be read, then evidence presented, then we shall hear from the defendant" Tsunade said

"I would also like the chance to speak" Naruto declared, his voice matching the Hokage's as all eyes turned to him in shock

"You are here as a guest" Tsunade pointed out and Naruto stood up with hands in pockets

"I am also recognised by the council as a civilian with some renown within the community" he told her and she frowned "also, under law, Tayuya is supposed to be granted a defendant to speak in her place" he said and murmuring could be heard as Hiashi stood up

"This is a military matter" he declared coolly and Naruto shot him a glance

"The presence of the civilians means that we are under civilian law here" he pointed out, causing the man to frown, "also she is a prisoner of war, and in accordance with certain treaties, we are obliged to treat them under civilian law" he said and Hiashi nodded his head once before sitting down.

"Very well" the Hokage declared "Uzumaki Naruto shall speak on behalf of…Tayuya was it?" she asked and Naruto nodded as he remained standing "very well, then please" she said, motioning to a blading man dressed in a crisp black suit, who stepped forwards and pulled out a serious of papers

"The charges are as follows" he said in a sharp monotone voice that gave him an air of authority to some extent "GBH to one Genin of Kohana, seven counts of murder during the invasion, property damage and assisting in the murder of the third Hokage, Sarutobi" the man said and then pulled back as the room buzzed briefly

"The evidence is half a dozen eye witness accounts from highly ranked Anbu members, who will remain anonymous here for obvious reasons, along with several Genin's" they carried on and Tayuya said nothing

"Does the defendant have anything to say?" Tsunade asked as Naruto stood up

"Shall I?" he asked and Tayuya nodded as he walked out, strangely imposing considering his usual occupation

"The evidence presented cannot, obviously, be refuted" he said as people began to speak before he continued "however I admit I am surprised at the speed of this trial" he said and the whole room fell silent "I have every reason to believe that this here is a faux trial, and is being used only to satisfy the military's need for blood" he said and the room held its breath as the Militia captain stood up

"She killed the Hokage" he declared

"Wrong" Naruto cut in "she assisted by erecting a barrier that should've been easy to break had our resident seals master been present" he said and the room fell silent once again "therefore, the responsibility for that rests in part with us as well, specifically with the previous Hokage and his aides, aside from that is the fact that the defendant holds valuable information relating to military strongholds in Grass country where the traitor Orochimaru and Sasuke Uchiha are residing" he said and the room muttered as the Uchiha's name was mentioned

"We cannot forgive her" someone on the civilian side shouted and Naruto looked at her hard

"We are known for our tolerance and forgiveness here, are we not" he said with an air of mockery that made several people flinch, knowing full well he was referring to his own less than beautiful past "in that case then the information she can provide us with will be more than enough to justify removing the death sentence" he said and another man stood up

"She needs to be punished" he declared to murmurs of agreement and Naruto smirked nastily

"By dying?" he asked slowly "what a bloodthirsty form of revenge, is war not enough for you?" he asked the man who stumbled back into his seat "you haven't had enough death yet?" he asked again and Hiashi stood up

"That is not what this is about" he said

"Is it not? Normally this kind of thing would take up to two weeks without torture, and if information was freely given, then the sentence would be lessened, am I wrong?" he asked and Hiashi clearly tensed

"You are not" he admitted and Naruto nodded

"Thank you for admitting it at least" he said as he turned to the civilian side "the military want to kill a potentially invaluable source of information" he declared to them as they focused on him completely "that could save dozens of lives and prevent another invasion like the one that just happened" he said as he turned back to the military side "all to satisfy their lust for blood. Are you really comfortable with them gambling your lives and others like that?" he asked as murmurs of dissent began to spread throughout the room on one side

"But she won't speak" Anko suddenly spoke out and Naruto faced her calmly

"It's all about how you approach it" he said and she blinked at him "Tayuya-san" he then said as he faced her "will you tell them everything?" he asked softly and she hesitated as the room fell silent

"I…will" she muttered and the room relaxed again, sounds of disbelief from Anko and various guards moving through the room before Naruto clapped his hands sharply

"There you have it" he said triumphantly "you will kill a cooperative prisoner?" he asked and Hiashi, along with various others, glared at him silently, knowing that they had clearly lost this little game they were playing

"I vote to reduce the sentence to sealing her chakra and restrictions of movement" one member said and suddenly the whole civilian side and several clan heads were standing and clapping in agreement

"Very well" Tsunade said, clearly not pleased with this turn of events "is that satisfactory Uzumaki-san?" she asked and Naruto looked to her

"How long with the restrictions last?" he asked

"She will be restricted from moving around after ten o'clock but can go to certain establishments" she said and Naruto nodded

"Very well then"

"This will go on for at least six months, with the chakra sealing lasting at least a year" she said and Naruto frowned and opened his mouth but closed it again

"What is it?" she asked

"Nothing, I'll speak to you later about it" he said "those conditions are fair, I accept" he said as he stepped off of the stage as Tayuya was led away and he walked out of the room just as the Hokage caught up to him

"I want to speak to you" she said and he nodded as they made their way down the stairs.

* * *

><p>The Hokage's office was a surprisingly small affair. At the far wall was a large window that held an unobstructed view of Kohana in its entirety, all the way to the high walls marking its boundaries, in front of which was a desk that looked about as old as Kohana itself, filled with dents scratches and holes, looking as though it had seen its own fair share of battle with the various people who had sat at it.<p>

On the walls sat various pictures of the past Hokage's along with shelves filled with books, scrolls and other such important things. A door off to one side led into the main scroll archive and was sealed tightly against any potential intruders.

"So" Tsunade began as she took up a seat behind the desk and motioned for Naruto to take one of the ones in front of it. He sat down and sighed as he undid a few of the top buttons on his shirt, feeling himself relax as he did so.

"Yes I know her" he said as he faced her fully, hands folded in front of him as he did so

"I see" Tsunade muttered "and you didn't report her?" she asked and Naruto looked at her strangely

"I didn't know she was an enemy" he said and Tsunade frowned

"That goes against some of the rumours I hear about you" she said and he blinked

"Such as?"

"You can recognise if someone's Anbu or the like form the way they move" she said as she folded her hands on the desk as Naruto straightened up

"You believe them?" he asked and she shrugged

"It's coming from some of the Anbu, so yes" she said and he sighed

"Even if I did, I couldn't have known what she was planning" he said and she nodded

"I suppose that's fair enough" she said as Naruto hummed

"Well, I would be very disappointed if the current Hokage started executing random civilians for supposed treason" he said and she shot him a look

"Would you now?" she asked and he nodded

"Regardless, there was something else" he said

"Yes, why did you defend her?" she asked and Naruto looked at her silently for a few moments before speaking

"She has potentially vital information about bases and the like in Grass" he said and she frowned

"But that's not your concern" she pointed out and he laughed

"I think it is" he told her seriously "my friends are all ninjas who put their lives on the line, and I don't particularly want another invasion like the last one to happen again just yet" he told her and she frowned

"You don't trust us?" she asked and he nodded

"I don't" he admitted

"That's rather straightforward"

"I like people to be aware of my position on certain matters"

"I see. So why don't you trust us?"

"Because your military, you don't tell us everything so we end up ill-informed and ignorant"

"That can't be the only reason"

"Of course not. It's because the value of human life to you is worth about as much as a piece on the board"

"That's the main thing isn't it?"

"It is. I have morals I cannot compromise on, while you are quite happy to bend yours in order to win, I believe that only a man can kill a monster"

Tsunade stood and turned to face the window with her hands held behind her back while Naruto sat in his chair, watching her carefully as he waited for her to continue their little conversation

"You nearly said something in the council room didn't you" she said and Naruto hummed

"I did"

"What was it?" she asked him as she turned to face him, Naruto leaned forwards

"What if we go to war?" he asked her seriously and she frowned

"Then we will fight" she said bluntly and he sighed

"Hence the trust issues" he pointed out and she bristled "what if she can help us win in battle?"

"Then we will get the information needed"  
>"I meant as a ninja" Naruto explained patiently, well aware of the game being played by Tsunade, it was very similar to the one played by the council at the trial<p>

"Then we will see" she said and he sighed heavily as he stood

"Then we don't, and won't, see eye to eye" he told her bluntly and she frowned as he pushed in his chair and stood straight, preparing to leave as she watched him

"She will be allowed to visit your place after hours" she told him as he turned to leave "providing ninjas are there of course"

"Of course" he said "good day Hokage-sama" he said with a stiff bow before he took his leave. Walking out of the room leaving a slightly agitated Hokage in his wake.

* * *

><p>The atmosphere was relaxed for a change. Everyone appeared to have turned out for the night so the night lost its somber tone and adopted something lighter.<p>

"You spoke in her defence?" Tenten asked and Naruto nodded

"She had information they hadn't bothered to extract" he told her quietly "and I don't want to see you being sent somewhere with little to no info" he said and she blushed slightly

"Thanks?" she said and he chuckled

"Don't worry about it Tenten-chan" he said as he turned to face his other regular who had her face down and hands in her lap, clearly unsure of where they stood in relation to one another

"Anko-chan" he said as he put a glass in front of her and filled it

She looked up at him as he smiled and pushed the glass towards her, she blushed and accepted it without saying a word.

"What's wrong?" Tenten asked, her clear worry only making Anko's blush worse than it already was

"Nothing" she muttered

"She essentially stood against me in the trial" Naruto told Tenten who blinked

"Why…?" she asked

"Because it's her job" Naruto cut her off before any damage could be done

"To stand against you?" Tenten asked in confusion and he chuckled again

"To support the Hokage" he told her and she nodded in understanding

"Fair enough" she muttered and he laughed a bit

"It'll be your job too eventually" he said and she nodded

"I know" she sighed and he shrugged as he sat opposite them

"You chose this line of work, don't be surprised that someone like me is going to have some problems with it" he said before glancing around "where's Temari-chan?" he asked and she shrugged

"Gone home" she said and Naruto frowned

"Aw, I wanted to poke fun at you two again" he said and she blushed

"Too bad" she mocked as she stuck out her tongue while he rolled his eyes

"And they say I'm childish" he said and she giggled "anyway, I believe that group is missing someone" he said, pointing to the Genin's "or a few persons"

"Oh that, Asuma's squad has been gone a little while" Tenten said and Naruto frowned

"Why do I get the impression that it may not be good news" he muttered "hows Kurenai's relationship going?" he asked Anko who blinked up at him

"What relationship?" she asked

"With Asuma?" he asked and she tilted her head

"What relationship?" she asked again and Naruto shook his head

"You scared him off didn't you?" he asked and Anko chuckled

"Of course" she said proudly and Naruto shook his head

"Should've seen that one coming" he muttered "well at least its not like he'll leave her alone with a kid or something then" he said and Anko's eyes widened

"A child?" she muttered

"Hypothetical" he told her "don't kill him" he warned and she pouted

"No fun" she whined and he rolled his eyes

"Whatever, anyway I spoke with the Hokage after the trial" he told the two of them "apparently there are rumours of my observational ability spreading in the ranks" he said and Anko looked away

"I wonder who it could be?" Tenten asked while looking at Anko who was refusing to look at the two of them

"Anyway, turns out that she'll be allowed to come here without an escort" he said and the two stared at him

"Really?" Anko asked suspiciously

"I didn't suggest it, the Hokage did" he told her and she frowned but sat back a bit "it's because there's ninjas here just about everyday" he told them and Anko nodded

"I can see how that works out" she muttered and Naruto rolled his eyes

"She probably wants an excuse to come here and drink" he said and Anko chuckled

"Probably" she agreed and Naruto shook his head

"Wouldn't surprise me if the council elected you civilian head" Anko then said and Naruto coughed

"I really don't think that will work" he said and she shrugged

"You won't have a choice" she said and he frowned

"Yeah, don't I know it" he muttered just as the door opened and Shikamaru walked in looking worse for wear.

He sat down a little way from Tenten and Anko as Naruto moved over to him, snatching one of his drinks off of the shelves and putting it in front of the young man along with a glass as he leant on the counter

"You look…like crap" Naruto said and he grunted

"I know" he said, hand shaking as he tried to pour a drink only for Naruto to take it from him and pour it out himself

"How long ago?" he asked

"Two days" he muttered with a tremble in his voice

"What happened?" Naruto asked as he sat down in front of the man who looked at him before sighing

"We fought a couple of S-rank ninjas" he said lowly and Naruto whistled

"And your still alive" he said in admiration "Asuma?" he asked suddenly and Shikamaru waved him off

"He's fine" he said and Naruto nodded

"Fair enough. Did you kill them?" he asked and the man shivered but nodded

"Eventually" he said and Naruto sighed

"What happened?" he asked and Shikamaru shook his head

"We fought a pair of ninjas known as the Zombie Brothers" he said "and I'm really fucking glad I followed your advice" he said clearly "if not for that I reckon at least Asuma would be dead" he said

"No problem" Naruto replied

"Yeah, well thanks to that we managed to avoid this guys special ability, he stands in a circle and any damage done to him hurts you, so long as he gets your blood" he said and Naruto whistled

"Damn, glad I'm not a ninja" he said and Shikamaru nodded

"Anyway, the other has six hearts attached to masks that can spit out the elements" he said and Naruto stared at him before sighing and slumping in his chair

"Carry on" he said

"Anyway, we managed to keep the first guy, Hidan, away from his circles. Eventually we got some of the other guys blood and used that to fool him, risky, but it worked" he admitted and Naruto nodded

"The fact you did it means that you're a damn good team though" he said and Shikamaru nodded

"Those simulations that you suggested helped though" he said

Naruto nodded "just glad to help" he said

"So eventually the second guy 'accidentally' destroys Hidan's body, so he can't come back any more. Then we had to take care of him, which was more difficult, but thanks to Asuma and me and Choji we did it" he said nwith a sigh as he finally seemed to collapse on the counter-top as Naruto chuckled

"Well good to know that two maniacs out there are dead" he said and Shikamaru frowned

"Its just, they had black cloaks with red clouds on, the same Sasuke's brother and his partner were wearing" he said and Naruto frowned

"I see" he muttered before putting the bottle down "well, enjoy the rest, and who knows? Two S-rank ninja might get you promoted to Jonin tomorrow" he said and Shikamaru waved him off as Naruto walked back over to his usual crowd

"What was that?" Tenten asked and he smirked

"Secret" he said and she pouted

"No fair, you get told everything" she said and he laughed

"Because I'm just that good" he told her and she turned away

"Yeah right" Anko mocked and he looked to her

"Don't make me start on you" he warned and she clammed up "exactly" he said as she growled at him as he took his seat once again

"Well, I'm just hoping they don't put me on the council, I'd never get any peace otherwise" he muttered with his head in his hands while Anko smirked

"Don't you want to make a difference?" she asked sweetly and he raised an eyebrow at her

"And end up on the military's death-list? No thank you" he said and Anko frowned

"Why would that happen?" she asked and he shrugged

"I don't see eye-to-eye with the Hokage, so how well do you think it'll go with Hiashi?" he asked her and she frowned

"I see your point" she muttered and he yawned while stretching

"Well whatever, at least we have some peace at last"

_**The End**_

**Sorry for the slow pace at the moment people, but exams and life keeps getting in the way.**

**Please do keep the reviews coming, it helps me improve and keep going. **

**Also once this is all done I will be doing a rewrite of it to correct any grammar and spelling mistakes that are present at the moment.**

**Aside from that have a good day.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The atmosphere was tense, to say the least.

It was late at night, so few customers were left in the shop, those that were left were all ninjas of various levels and descriptions. The cold night air blew in through the open door and stole away the heat of the day, so it became more bearable, the moons silver light entered the darkened side of the room and reflected off of the polished tables and floor, giving the entire area an almost ethereal feel, along with those sat within it, dressed in their usual blacks.

Naruto was standing behind his bar, trying to hold in his irritation, as the two women in front of him tore into one another with all the hate of two sworn enemies, though he knew it shouldn't have surprised him that this would happen. That didn't stop him from becoming irritated by the steadily rising level of noise.

At least the Genin's aren't here, he thought to himself as he watched the two of them with a slight frown

"Or fucking what?" Tayuya nearly shouted "its part of my bloody punishment"

"What? To come here and drink? Some fucking punishment" Anko shouted back and Naruto rubbed his temples as he debated throwing the two of them into a small room together until they learned to get along

"Yeah, snake-bitch" Tayuya shot back "it's the only other place I can fucking go to, so fuck you and what you want"

"Screw you" Anko shouted as her hand shot towards her pouch

"Enough!" Naruto shouted and the two of them immediately froze in place before turning to him "you, sit there" he said to Tayuya "and you, sit there" he said to Anko, both of who took their respective places two seats away from one another at his command "like a couple of children" he huffed and Anko opened her mouth, only to close it as he shot her a look

"She started it" Tayuya said and Naruto looked at her

"I know, but you didn't help matters did you?" he said and she lowered her head "exactly, and both of you will watch your language or I'll throw the two of you out" he said seriously and Anko winced while Tayuya opened her mouth to fire back a retort before noticing the look in his eyes and clamming up

"Sorry" Anko muttered and Tayuya nodded

"Tayuya-san?" he asked her and she turned away

"Sorry" she muttered and he sighed before sitting down

"You two are going to have to learn to get along" he told them as they glared at one another across the empty space between them "stop" he said and they both turned away from each other "I don't care why you hate each other, but if you are going to fight, then at least do it outside or something" he said and Anko looked at him

"Really?" she asked and he snorted

"Yeah right, behave or I will ban you" he said and they both winced at that

"Fine" Tayuya accented as Anko nodded

"Great" Naruto said with a sigh "now that after several weeks you two have agreed to get along I can relax" he muttered as the two women steamed while shooting murderous glances at one another

"So, what's going on with you?" he asked Tayuya who perked up before deflating

"Not much" she said, clearly restraining herself from swearing every other word "I used to have a flute, but that go destroyed" she growled, glancing at Anko

"It was a weapon" Anko said clinically and Tayuya scoffed

"Yeah fucking…"

"Tayuya" Naruto warned

"Sorry…yeah right" Tayuya corrected herself as Naruto nodded in satisfaction

"It was"  
>"Whatever, so I've got no money, a guard on me every minute of every day, and nothing to do. So I'm just great" she said with a growl as Naruto sighed<p>

"Come here tomorrow" he told her and she blinked at him; "I've got something to give you" he said and she blinked before blushing and turning away

"Thanks, Naruto-san" she said as Anko looked at him suspiciously before he frowned at her

"She won't try to escape even if I was to give her the old flute" he told her and she opened her mouth "no it's not, it was destroyed, it's just a simple flute" he cut her off and she pouted at being thwarted once again

"So where's Tenten-chan" Anko asked and Naruto shrugged

"In bed probably"

"With Temari?"

"I doubt it, as much as it would amuse me, I don't think they'd ever get together in my lifetime"

"I wonder…"

"You blackmail them and I'll do it to you"

"…I'll be good"

"Good. Then I see Anbu's more relaxed recently"

"Sometimes, the recent arrival of several S-class ninjas, including Itachi, has everyone on edge a little"

"It seems I need to speak to our resident spy-master"

"Why?"

"Because something's going on that affects me, and I have heard nothing about it"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, chances are is a military matter, but I have ways of getting the information I need  
>"Huh"<p>

Naruto sat down and sighed as he watched the two women tolerate each other's presence for the moment

"I still don't get why you two won't get along" he said

"She tried to kill the Hokage" Anko exclaimed and Naruto sighed

"I think you'll find that she was just following orders, a soldier, just like you" he pointed out and she flinched back "and you?" he asked to Tayuya who frowned

"Because she won't leave me alone"

"And…?"

"She betrayed _him_" she said and he sighed

"He's not your master anymore" he pointed out and she nodded

"Old habits" she muttered and he nodded

"Fair enough, but you two are about as similar as Tenten and Temari" he said and Anko balked

"I'm never…"

"Did I say you would?" he asked and she blushed "exactly, now then it looks like I'll be closing in a little while" he said as a few more people walked out of the store so that only the elite ninjas were left on the darker side of the room "and someone's about to arrive" he said as the doors opened to reveal Tsunade

"Made it" she said as she walked over and sat in-between Tayuya and Anko who appeared surprised at her arrival

"Hokage-sama" Naruto said stiffly with a small bow and she waved him off

"Please, not on my off hours" she said and he nodded

"Which one?" he asked as he pointed behind him as she hummed in thought

"What're you doing here Hokage-sama?" Anko asked and Tsunade shrugged

"I needed drink" she said and Anko twitched

"I-I see" she said uncertainly as she turned away while Naruto put a bottle and glass in front of Tsunade who immediately poured herself a glass

"Shizune wouldn't let me go, so I had to wait until she was asleep to come here" she explained and Naruto nodded

"Well, a drunk Hokage wouldn't be much use" he said and she snorted

"I don't get drunk easily" she defended herself and Naruto nodded

"Fair enough"

"Behaving yourself?" she then asked Tayuya who bristled at the implications before Naruto cut in

"She's fine" he said and Tayuya closed her mouth before she said something stupid

"Really?"Tsunade asked and Naruto nodded "she was nothing but trouble to everyone except for you" she said and Naruto shrugged

"As I've said before, it's all about how you approach it, being a civilian has its perks you know" he said and she nodded

"Different mind-set?"

"Very different" he confirmed and she nodded while he sat in front of the three of them and sipped at his own drink

"You do deliveries?" Tsunade then asked and he shrugged

"Depends on the pay" he replied honestly and she smirked

"Fair enough, to the office" she said and he nodded

"I can do that, providing your sectary doesn't skin me alive for it" he told her and she frowned

"She won't attack you" she said and he shrugged

"Can never be too careful nowadays" he told her and she nodded

"True enough" she muttered

"Does the phrase 'red cloud's' mean anything to you?" he asked and she shook her head

"Why would it?" she asked and he sighed "oh, by the way, an ambassador is being sent from Cloud apparently" she said and Naruto frowned

"Now then, what could they possibly want from us?" he muttered as Tsunade shrugged

"Haven't a clue, but apparently those S-class nin Asuma's team killed had been spotted in Cloud, allegedly planning to kill the two-tails" she said and Naruto frowned

"And they want to thank you? Sounds fair enough, you did save their best weapon" he told her and she shrugged

"We'll see what they have to say, but I'm not expecting much" she confessed and he nodded

"With the past being what it is I doubt they'll want a treaty either, not that we'd be too inclined to sign it after last time" he said and she nodded

"True enough, Hiashi's already making my life difficult over it" she said and he sighed

"That idiot needs to be taken down a few notches, his clan is just as vulnerable as the Uchiha's; there are more slaves than masters after all" he said and she nodded

"We can only hope" she muttered and he chuckled

"Indeed, you heading off?" he asked Anko who had stood up

"Yeah, I've got work and I&T tomorrow" she said and he smiled, kissing her cheek before she walked off with a small blush on her cheeks

He turned to find Tsunade looking at him with a raised eyebrow "brother/sister thing" he told her and she nodded

"You sure?"

"She's like a sister to me, it'd just be wrong in that sense, and I don't think mixing military and civilian occupations would be a good idea" he told her and she nodded

"Fair enough, what about Tayuya-san here?" she asked as Tayuya choked on her drink suddenly

"We're not that close yet" he told her

"Yet?"

"Yeah, you never know after all, and she is very much like Anko" he said and Tayuya looked away while muttering under her breath

"What of Temari?"

"She's a good friend but nothing more" he told her as she nodded

"Garaa would kill you otherwise" she said and he chuckled

"Probably" he admitted "although I think she'd be good for Tenten" he said and Tsunade laughed

"I'm sure she appreciates the thought" she said and Naruto snorted in reply

"I'm fairly certain she wants to kill me now, but whatever" he told her as she nodded

"Well, I need to head off before Shizune finds me missing" she said and Naruto nodded as she walked off before he sat in front of Tayuya

"You okay?" he asked her softly and she nodded absently

"So long as I have something to do it'll be fine" she said and he nodded

"Fair enough, I have something for you tomorrow. But how are you being treated?" he asked and she shrugged

"I have a nice enough apartment, cook for myself and everything, so it's better than it could've been" she admitted and he nodded

"That's good, though you might ask your keeper to let you go shopping or something" he told her

"Why?"

"Because changing your hair and clothes will go a long way to helping make people forget about you part in our leader's death"

"I thought you didn't care for him"

"I don't, but everyone else did, so just do that. And anyway, you're very beautiful so you shouldn't hide it" he told her as she blushed furiously

"Thank you" she muttered

"My, where'd all that fire go?" he asked teasingly and she pouted cutely

"You didn't want me swearing" she muttered and he laughed while patting her head

"Thank you for indulging me Tayuya-chan" he said as she blushed "but I think your minder wants to leave" he said, seeing the Anbu all stand up

"See you tomorrow" she said before walking off, back straightening and face certainly furious as she walked over to the man, clearing not going to be anywhere near as courteous to him as she had been to Naruto.

* * *

><p>The next day Naruto was wiping the floor down when a knock resounded throughout the room.<p>

He looked up from the finely polished wooden floor to the oak door, bolted in three positions at any one time, his paranoia having gone up after the failed invasion attempt by Sand and Sound

"Who is it?" he asked as he unbolted the locks and opened the door, allowing light to spill into the slightly darkened room, the curtains being drawn.

"Me" Tayuya said as he came face to face with her red hair. Behind her stood her handler, a slight frame and wolf mask told him what he needed

"My apologies Uzumaki-san" she said as she glared at Tayuya from behind her mask "but she insisted" she said and Tayuya snorted

"You fuc…" she stopped and glanced at Naruto who watched her with a raised eyebrow before she coughed and tried again "you wanted to come as well dammit" she said stiffly

Naruto could clearly see the handlers eyes widen behind her mask when Tayuya corrected her language

"How the hell?" she muttered with a questioning look as Naruto shrugged

"It's all in how you treat them" he answered before holding the door open "come in you two, I'll get what you need"

He moved to the back of the shop as he heard the scraping of a chair

"Don't do that" the Anbu said and Tayuya snorted

"Or fucking what?" she sneered

"I can still hear you Tayuya-chan" he called out and he could hear her swallow

"Sorry" she replied as he reappeared carrying a carved, long, wooden case along with a silver flask

"These are what you two are after" he told them while putting them both down on the table

"Is that…?" Tayuya asked with hopeful eyes and he smirked before turning to the Anbu

"Payment please?" he asked and she handed him the notes while shaking her head slightly

"How the hell did you know?" she asked him and he shrugged

"It's the only reason someone turns up to me this early"

"When they want something?"

"Pretty much. Either that or they want to take me somewhere, but that's beside the point. It's got the usual stuff within it, I'm guessing that's what you wanted?" he asked her and she nodded slowly

"Thank you" she replied and he waved her off

"Please do not worry about it, you can expect yourself and your team to get a free drink on me when you get back" he said and she nodded

"I'll tell them that, it should put them in high spirits" she replied and he nodded before looking down at Tayuya who was staring at the case

"You can open it Tayuya-chan" he told her and she nodded before undoing the latch and opening the beautifully carved case revealing the wooden flute sitting inside comfortably on the red fabric inside.

She took it out and took in the carvings along the body of the instrument, the balance and weight of it before nearly tearing up while Naruto watched with a soft smile on his face.

"I take it you approve?" he asked her and she nodded as she gently placed it back into the case in front of her before looking up at him as he turned his head and pointed to his cheek, she smiled and kissed him there before standing up

"Well then Uzumaki-san, thank you very much" the Anbu said as she led Tayuya out

"Thank you Naruto-kun" she called out and he chuckled at the soft blush on her cheeks as the two of them left his bar, the door closing quietly behind them as he was once again left alone.

He sighed as he tucked in the chair Tayuya had removed from the top of the table to sit in, not that it was too much of a bother, and it was only this once after all. He heard footfalls on the stairs behind him and turned to regard Haku who was looking at him through sleepy eyes

"Good morning" he called out and she nodded with a small yawn

"Was that Tayuya-san?" she asked and he nodded

"Just giving her and her minder a gift" he told her and she nodded but frowned slightly "jealous?" he asked her and she flushed

"Of course not" she admonished him and he chuckled softly

"Of course, though now that you're up…" he said and she blushed again before running off to go do what she needed to, having slept in late once again, much to his amusement. Considering how different she now acted compared to when she had first arrived with him, being up earlier and going to bed later than him, now she had quite comfortably settled into the civilian lifestyle, though by no means did that mean she had gotten soft.

He had caught her practising with her needles more than once on the rooftop garden she spent nearly all her spare time in nowadays, not that he minded, she was just like Tayuya as in she needed something to help occupy her time in-between the brief flurries of activity that seemed to be present regularly nowadays.

He shook his head as he thought about what the future could hold for the business and the two of them.

The door suddenly opened and he whirled around with a hand reaching for his machete that was not there, having been left under the counter during the previous night.

He relaxed when he saw it was only Tenten, standing there and panting softly, having clearly run to his shop from her apartment building

"Good morning Tenten-chan" he called out as she walked in, trying to talk before he pulled out a chair and pushed her into it

"Take a breath" he told her and she did so, becoming calmer as she looked up at him

"They took Garaa" she then said

Naruto blinked in response, having no idea what she was talking about or referring to "who?" he asked her and she shrugged in reply

"Some guys with red clouds came in the night and kidnapped Garaa while he defended the town" she told him and he sat down across from her with a small frown, folding his hands together in front of him

"I see" he replied quietly "and I guess you know this from Temari?" he asked and she flushed

"How'd you know?" she demanded and he smiled softly

"Because I knew you two had hit it off, so despite my teasing you would both be sending each other messages" he told her and she looked away while muttering

"She's…not happy" she told him and he snorted

"She's feeling about as happy as I would be if you or Anko were taken away" he told her as she blushed again "but regardless, why exactly are you telling me this now?" he asked her and she looked down at her own hands fiddling in her lap

"Because I need to talk to someone before I head out" she told him and he nodded

"I see, your team along with Shikamaru's and most likely Sakura's will be sent out" he said and she looked at him in shock "guess work on my part, though you expression says that I was right on the mark. Well, with all those people you won't have a problem, I highly doubt Garaa gave his attacker an easy time of it" he told her and she nodded

"He crushed the man's left arm and leg" she said and Naruto nodded silently

"That means the man had a partner, well regardless I can only guess at what you'll find when you get there" he told her with open hands and she nodded

"I know"

"You just wanted to let me know then? That's fine by itself, but I think maybe you should comfort Temari before heading off, it won't do to have her running off into the desert after her brother after all" he told her and she nodded with a heavy sigh

"I know"

"Good enough for me then. You had best be going soon, the quicker you get there the less chance of Garaa being killed" he told her seriously and she nodded while standing before he hugged her tightly

"Thanks" she muttered as she hugged him back before he released her and she ran from the pub in the direction of one of the many gates around the town.

"Is everything okay?" Haku asked from the stairs and he shrugged

"It is for now" he replied and she moved back up the stairs while he sat down and thumped his head down onto the cool wood of the table

Everything was suddenly happening at once; it made him think of an old war saying that it was 'long periods of boredom, followed by brief moments of terror'. It certainly seemed fitting for what was happening to him so far today; the only thing that could now happen would be the ambassador from Cloud turning up.

Another knock at the door

"Come in" he called and in walked two Anbu members, looking extremely professional

"Uzumaki-san" one with an owl mask started "please come with us"

"What for?" he asked as he stood up to face them

"The Hokage has requested your presence"

"What for?" he asked again, well aware they had failed to answer the question

"The Cloud team has arrived" he said and Naruto frowned deeply

"Clearly answering clearly is not your thing" he muttered and the man stiffened slightly as the other one stepped in beside him

"Lady Tsunade has requested your presence in dealing with the ambassador and his entourage, as it is believed you would be most suitable for this endeavour" the man said and Naruto frowned deeply

"And I don't have a choice do I?" he asked softly and both men stiffened "very well" he growled as he walked towards them as out of his shop into the blinding light of the early morning.

* * *

><p>The walk to the Hokage's tower was deathly silent. Neither Anbu had much to say to Naruto who was not exactly in the mood to be making idle conversation with anyone for the moment with everything that was happening so far that day.<p>

A cloud obscured the sun for a moment and a brief breeze carried with it the scent of the forests around Konoha to them. Naruto entered the tower without a glance at Shizune, the two Anbu flanking him causing just about everyone to move out of his way as he walked up to the top floor and up to the entrance of the Hokage's office where voices could already be heard.

"Please go in Uzumaki-san" Shizune whispered politely to him "there only exchanging formalities" she told him and he nodded, noticing his two escorts hand vanished into thin air while he had briefly had his attention focused on the receptionist

"Thank you" he replied politely before entering the room.

It was the same as always, save for several more people were now seated in front of the Hokage who was all dressed formally, though tension was clearly visible in her shoulders and for good reason. In front of her sat an ageing man who was certainly the ambassador, to his left was a younger man who must be his apprentice. It was the young woman to the man's right that made Naruto frown.

She had straight long blonde hair and dark eyes that shone with something Naruto did not quite like. She had a short-sleeved black and purple blouse, black pants, both with designs similar to clouds on them. Purple fingerless gloves and a series of white beads wound around her left hand, along with the bandages around her arms and legs along with red belt around her waist.

"Ah, Uzumaki-san, please come in" Tsunade greeted him warmly despite his own expression clearly revealing his lack of pleasure at being here once again

"Why am I here exactly?" he asked her, disregarding the looks sent his way by the ambassador and others

"To help escort the ambassador and his two aides around Konoha" she told him with a small smile and a look probably reserved for disobedient subordinates

"And this was not discussed with me before hand because?" he asked her with a coolness in his tone that belied the anger he was feeling bubble to the surface thanks to this latest farce by the rulers of Konoha

"Because we did not know when they would arrive" she replied and he shook his head

"Shocking, to have a civilian do the work of the military" he told her firmly and she shook her own head

"The ambassador here is a civilian so it is only fair to have the liaison be the same" she replied to him with a frown of displeasure on her face

"Very well then, I will do as you ask. But do not expect any more favours from me" he told her firmly as she winced, knowing full well what he might do thanks to this latest provocation.

He turned to regard the three spectators

"I am Uzumaki Naruto" introduced himself with a bow as the three looked him over carefully while he did the same to them. The two men were certainly civilian, but the woman was certainly not, if her eyes and smooth movements were anything to go by

"Pleased to meet you" the ambassador replied calmly and Naruto straightened up and motioned to the door

"Shall we then? I will take you around briefly and then return you to your hotel if that is alright?" he asked and the elderly man nodded

"Of course, you must have things to do, being called here out of the blue and all" he said and Naruto nodded, not missing the look the man shot Tsunade who looked both less than pleased and disappointed, though whether in him or not he could not tell for the moment.

"This way then" he said as he led them out of the room and down the tower.

He had not meant to be so hostile to Tsunade; however he was certainly not pleased at having been called out without any warning of any kind to look after foreign delegates that he did not care for any more than his own military or leader.

"You do not seem to care for Lady Tsunade" the ambassador commented as Naruto led them around the village while pointing out the various landmarks

"I have never cared much for the Hokage's here" he told her man truthfully as he pointed out the monument on the tower behind the tower, clearly visible from the park they were standing in

"Then you agreed because?" the man asked

"I did not wish to anger the military, we do live under a dictatorship after all" he told him as the man nodded

"I agree, so what do you do around here, you must be well liked to be elected into this role" the man said and Naruto shrugged

"I do not know whether or not I am well liked, but I work as a bar tender" he told the man who frowned

"Truly?" he asked

"Yes, I own and run one of the most well liked bars here in Konoha" he told the man as he pointed it out to them

"It certainly stands out" the man agreed, what with the three stories and greenery atop the roof it certainly stood out from the slightly grimly buildings around it

"I shall take that as a compliment and not how I think it was meant" he said

"Thank you kindly" the man replied with a small smile "may we visit tonight then?" he asked and Naruto nodded

"Of course"

"No free drinks?"

"I only do that to certain friends and groups"

"Such as?"

"The Anbu and a select few around town"

"I see"

They arrived at the hotel and Naruto wished them well as he turned away, catching the eye of the woman he grabbed her arm lightly as she passed him

"Far too conspicuous" he told her and walked off, aware of her eyes on his back the whole way.

* * *

><p>The night arrived in a blur of motion, with the room quickly filling with people when the door opened.<p>

Haku moved through the crowds of people like some kind of ghost, smiling and waving when people called out to speak to her or greet her. Naruto remained behind the bar, watching it all unfold as he awaited the dreaded arrival of the Hokage's guests or the Hokage herself. There was one event he did not need taking place within his establishment.

"More sake" someone called and he pulled out the bottle and glasses, putting them down as he was handed the money, hands moving automatically as his mind remained elsewhere for the time being

"Uzumaki-san" someone called out and he raised his eyes to come face to face with the woman from earlier; he was easy able to tell the room's atmosphere had subtly changed when she entered. She was an outsider and that meant she was an unknown, and everyone in a military state is weary of outsiders

"Good evening" he replied as she sat down in front of him with a sigh while she removed her headband, placing it down in front of her "do you have weapons on you?" he asked cautiously and she looked up at him

"Can I not?" she asked and he nodded so she shrugged and pulled off her holster before handing it over to him as he took it and placed it beneath the counter next to his machete "will I get them back?" she asked with a small smirk

"Of course" he replied professionally "now then, what can I get for you?" he asked her as she eyed the drinks behind him carefully

"How careless, there are no labels" she commented, causing a few customers to frown

"Do not insult me" he told her quietly "the Hokage may care for you lot being here, but I do not, and neither do most of my customers" he told her seriously before straightening up again as she looked at him seriously

"I'm trained…"

"And by our laws I can throw you out of here on my own discretion" he told her firmly

"Don't fear the military huh?" she asked with a smirk

"Of course not" he told her "but perhaps you should" he said as Tayuya and another Anbu member walked in, followed by several more "welcome" he called out. The civilians already beginning to file out.

It was interesting how everything seemed to run like clockwork half the time. The civilians would leave at around twelve and the ninjas would arrive a little after that, as though to give him a little breathing room

"Good evening Tayuya-chan" he greeted the red-headed girl who sat down heavily with a huff

"Naruto-kun" she replied and he smiled before pouring her a drink

"She's one of the special one's huh?" the girl asked with that infuriating smirk as Tayuya ignored her and gulped it down before he refilled it

"People like you" he said as he finished and put the bottle back on the shelf behind him "are the ones I dislike the most" he told her "just because you're a ninja doesn't mean you can't be killed" he told her firmly and she shrugged

"Whatever you say" she said and he shook his head

"Pick something, drink it, and leave before you irritate the other customers please" he told her firmly and her smirk vanished as it finally clicked that he was quite serious with his intentions

"There" she said while pointed to one of the many bottles behind Naruto, he handed it over and took the money before moving off to talk to Tayuya

"Who's that?" she asked him as he sat in front of her

"One of the ambassadors from Cloud here to thank us, apparently" he told her and she snorted

"Stuck up bitch" she hissed and he sighed

"She is, but behave" he told her as he tapped the top of her head gently making her wince

"Sorry" she grumbled and he shrugged

"I'll just be glad to see them gone, I really don't want to, or need to, deal with this at the moment" he said and she nodded in sympathy

"Thanks for the flute by the way" she then said and he smiled

"I'm just glad you liked it, it was impossible for me to find one like your original" he told her and she nodded

"Custom job" she admitted and he chuckled softly

"I figured it was something like that, has Anko seen you yet?" he asked and she nodded

"She came to check on progress" she laughed lightly "her face when she saw my flute was priceless" she admitted and he smirked

"I'll bet, she probably thought it was a weapon or something" he said and she nodded

"Whys she here anyway?" Tayuya asked while pointing to the woman a few seats from her

"I don't know, all I know is she's a well trained ninja, nearly Anbu in skill level" he told her and the woman regarded him carefully

"How'd you know?" she asked haughtily and he shrugged

"Your movements suggest a great deal of experience in hand-to-hand combat, the way your eyes always take in every little detail proves knowledge of ambush locations and the like. Finally, your body is definitely not civilian" he said and she looked away

"I heard you were good" she muttered as she took a sip of the dark liquid and Naruto moved back over to her

"I have had a great deal of practise. But still, why would a foreign ninja come here of all places, a place where other ninjas regularly gather?" he asked and she looked at him

"Because I wanted a drink" she said and he raised an eyebrow

"There are other bars you could go to"

"I wanted something good"

"Thank you, but that still fails to answer the question"

"You are sharp, I'm here to talk"

"About?"

"My apparent rescue, or the prevention of my kidnapping, more precisely"

"Ah I see, but you should speak to the team that did that"

"But I heard you spoke to the main guy and that's what led them to victory"

Naruto sat down in front of her and folded his hands seriously

"So you're the Two-tail container" he said and she nodded

"Nii Yugito" she introduced herself and he nodded

"So then, what did you want to say?" he asked and she looked down at her drink for a moment

"Thank you, first of all, for helping me" she said and he leant back

"It was not by intention, but you are welcome nonetheless" he said and she nodded

"Also, why do you give advice to ninjas?" she asked him

"Because I am around various groups of ninjas all the time, which makes me a good source of advice. Or so I've been told" he said and she nodded to herself

"I see"

"But I think there's more to this than a simple 'thank you', you're here to examine how we are after the failed invasion" he told her and she looked down at her drink "also, you're here to talk to me because you know what I am" he said and she nodded slowly

"My demon sensed you when we arrived" she admitted and he nodded slowly

"You want to know why, or how, I live such a normal life" he said and she nodded

"That's right"

"I fought for it every step of the way and threatened anyone who didn't like it" he told her and she blinked before chuckling

"I see" she said with amusement colouring her tone while he leant forwards on his arms again

"It was hard, but it was worth it I think" he admitted and she nodded

"Sorry about before" she said quietly and he nodded

"Just don't try it again and it won't be a problem" he told her as she nodded just as the door banged open

"Naruto" Anko shouted as she saw him and marched over while he stood up, stepping back a little to avoid to finger aimed for his chest

"Why didn't you warn me?" she asked him seriously and he chuckled

"Sorry Anko-chan" he apologised

"What if she had summoned those things of hers again?" she asked him and he tilted his head

"Despite the fact the weapon must be able to conduct chakra?" he asked her seriously while she blushed at realising he knew what he had been doing "how about the chakra restraining seal on her? Or the fact she promised me to not try anything?" he carried on as she blushed redder and redder

"Fine" she finally declared, sitting in-between Tayuya and Yugito as she grabbed the drink he offered her, gulping it down as he blush settled down

"You should trust me" he said and she looked at him

"I do" she muttered

"But you panicked when I gave someone a gift?" he asked her and glared at him

"I said I was sorry" she said and he chuckled

"You didn't, but you did then so I suppose it's fine"  
>"Good" she grumbled before shooting Yugito a look<p>

"Who's the blonde?" she asked while pointing at the woman who glared at him

"My name is Nii Yugito" she retorted and Anko looked at her before looking back to Naruto who shook his head

"Behave yourself Anko-chan, she's one of the ambassadors from Cloud" he told her and she nodded

"She being trouble?" she asked and he tapped her head

"You and Tayuya are as bad as each other, behave" he told her and the two girl glanced at each other while Yugito sipped at the last of her drink

"Send me a message if you need someone to talk to or something" he told the girl who nodded

"Thank you Naruto-san" she said with a small inclination of her head while both Anko and Tayuya watched her

"Don't worry about it, these red cloud guys appear to be everyone's enemies" he told her and she nodded

"They are. I'll see you tomorrow then Naruto-san" she said

"Oh yeah, where are the other two?" Naruto asked her and she shrugged

"They didn't want to go after all, I think hearing about all the ninjas that come here frightened them off" she told him and he nodded

"Good night, Yugito-san" he told her and she smiled prettily before walking off

"Why're you being so nice to her?" Anko asked

"She's like me" he replied and she gasped

"You mean…" she began to blurt before Naruto put a hand over her mouth

"Yes" he told her and she frowned "don't give me that look, I think you can trust her, she came here to thank me and ask me a question, now that that's been done they'll likely leave after tomorrow" he told her and she slumped down

"Whipped" Tayuya smirked with a chuckle and Naruto raise an eyebrow at her, causing her to shrink away slightly as Anko chuckled

"So are you" she shot back as Naruto sat back down and watched the two girls go at each other for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>The early morning light streamed into the office through the large window, bathing the room in a soft yellow that softened the atmosphere and reflected off of the dark wooden floor and pictures on one wall.<p>

Naruto stood in front of the oak desk with a slight frown on his face, dressed in his usual white button shirt and black trousers, dark shoes and black jacket with silver buttons and thread. He was watching the woman in front of him who was sitting with her head pressed against her folded hands and certainly appeared less than happy with what was going on for the moment. Though he was not exactly thrilled either.

"You wanted to speak to me?" he asked. Having been dragged out of bed around half an hour earlier than usual he was not at all happy with either the Hokage in front of him or the Anbu that had so rudely decided to wake him up, he would not forget that for a while yet, especially since she had simply requested to speak to him at some stage, and nearly everyone knew that he would have been up anyway if they had waited a while.

"I did" Tsunade replied and Naruto waited for her to speak, one hand in his pocket as the other absently fingered a coin, flipping it between fingers as he stood straight, as always.

"Then what is it? I am less than pleased at being here this early when I have deliveries to pick up" he told her calmly as he shifted his footing slightly

"I wish to apologise for what happened yesterday" she said and he nodded

"Very well"

"We honestly had no idea about when the ambassadors would arrive"

"But you already knew I would be the one leading them around" he pointed out "and I was not even informed of that" he said and she nodded

"Correct, though it wasn't cleared with the council until the ambassador arrived" she said and he frowned

"You could have warned me at the very least. I do not particularly care for being viewed as a mere pawn" he told her and she shook her head and sighed before turning her chair to look out over the village bathed in golden light

"You are the same as anyone else here" she said

"But I am no heartless tool" he told her firmly and she glanced back at him

"No, I would not expect you to be, but it isn't as though I ordered you to kill them" she said and he turned his head from her for a moment before locking eyes with her seriously

"That is true, but I see the apple does not fall far from the tree then" he said and he eyes widened slightly "it would appear you and Sarutobi are not so far apart after all" he said as he kept his gaze on her as she turned back around to face him fully

"I am not attempting to weaponise you" she said and he nodded

"But that is more out of fear than desire. Yesterday I was chosen because of several reasons; firstly my dislike of the military is well known and so they would have felt assured that I was not working with you, your decision to not inform me of my role was also used in that regard. Secondly you knew the woman was a carrier like me" he told her and she lowered her head

"Clearly we underestimated you" she muttered and he snorted

"Sarutobi did the same thing. I outlasted him" he told her and she looked up at him with cold eyes

"Is that a threat?" she asked

"From a civilian? Hardly. But you should be aware of my position, please do not enter my store again" he told her and turned to leave

"Wait" she called out as his hand touched the door "I truly do apologise for deceiving you, we decided it was best" she said and he looked back at her

"We have different views on life, you view the village as a tool and set of numbers, I see the day-to-day lives behind those numbers, we are fundamentally different in how we respond to events and actions" he told her and she nodded

"I know"

"But my decision remains, do not enter my store again please. I accept that you are telling the truth, however my point still remains, if you did not wish to irritate me to this extent then you would have taken appropriate actions. Good day" he said as he walked out of the office, leaving Tsunade to slump noisily in her chair as she rubbed her face and wondered about the personal cost of the job she had undertaken.

Naruto made good time back to his store and ducked in before Haku woke up or the deliveries arrived, neither of which he was keen to miss, especially since he would have to explain the situation to Haku, who would no doubt want to speak to Tsunade herself to sort things out.

He threw his jacket down onto one of the tables and sat down at it heavily, sighing while rubbing his face as he considered having a drink so early in the morning and whether Haku would murder him when she found out.

* * *

><p>That night was quiet. Naruto's mood had improved but many people had seen him being taken to the Hokage Tower with the look of thunder on his face, and as such many were trying not to irritate him any more than he already was, despite the fact that he was only angry at the Hokage and those two Anbu who had thought to drag him out of bed stupidly early, the same ones that had picked him up the day before to speak to the Hokage and meet the Cloud ambassadors.<p>

The atmosphere was quiet but not subdued. The two sections of the military split up as soon as they walked in and were served quickly enough, however Naruto was vigilant for the Anbu and Hokage, whom he had banned from entering his store. He was spiteful when angered, though admittedly it took something special to anger him to this extent. The fact that he was being used by the Hokage was not something that sat well with him at all, even if it was to the benefit of the village. He was not a tool. He had spent his entire life fighting against that label and had succeeded, and after Sarutobi's death he believed something might have changed.

The door opened and in walked the two Anbu from earlier, though not before Yugito pushed in ahead of them and took up her seat in front of Naruto.

She looked to him to ask for something but must have seen the look on his face or in his eyes; because she silently closed her mouth and turned to regard the two men she had pushed ahead of to get to the bar as quickly as possible.

"You two" Naruto called out, causing conversation in the room to die suddenly as the two Anbu looked at him

"What?" the older of the two asked harshly and Naruto shook his head while the other Anbu looked on at his partner with a tired look

"You two are banned from here" he told them and a few people tensed.

It was a rare day indeed when Naruto banned anyone from the Anbu. Many of them received special treatment from him and his store, so for him to ban two, fairly new, members outright was something no one had ever seen happened before, let alone expect, though a few older Anbu shook their head, apparently realising what the newbie had done to anger Naruto to such an extent.

"What?" the man asked lowly and Naruto straightened as the atmosphere grew tense "oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you up too early civy?" the man asked mockingly, and more than a few customers frowned at him, some of the Anbu shifting slightly so they were ready if he tried anything.

"That is not the problem. You have are disrespectful to the civilians around you, those who keep you supplied with weapons and kit to allow you your position as an 'elite'" Naruto told the man "and as such I have to ban you. I have no interest in serving one such as yourself" he told the man who took a step forwards, causing many to tense and grip their weapons more tightly

"What about him then?" he asked while pointing to the man behind him

"He has been more forthcoming, so I will make an exception this once. You are, after all, the only Anbu member I have had to ban from here" he said and the other man moved away from the first one who looked rather angry

"You're just a civy!" he roared and Naruto frowned deeper

"Leave, you are disturbing my customers" he said calmly and the man went to move only to find a blade at his throat, courtesy of Yugito who looked at him with fierce eyes

"He asked you to leave" she hissed, not unlike a cat

"Getting outsiders to do you're…" the man started to retort only for someone to stand up and punch him, hard, sending him crashing through the floor

"That's enough" the person barked

"C-captain" the man gasped, clutching his shattered nose as he looked up in fear

"Get out of my sight" he growled and the man scrambled out of the bar while Naruto sighed and nodded his thanks to the man as Yugito sat back down in front of him

"Thank you" he said to her and she nodded, the ones watching her had turned back to their own drinks, having apparently decided that she was no threat to Naruto or to them

"That happen often?" she asked and he shook his head

"Let's just say a lots happened, and I'm less forgiving than usual" he told her and she nodded while sipping at her drink that Naruto had placed down in front of her without really looking

"You really are quite good at this" she admitted, referring to his choice of drink, and he nodded his head

"Practise makes perfect, well, that and having a good memory" he told her and she nodded with a smile even as he noticed someone else outside his door that he had little interest in seeing at that moment in time, having just dealt with one annoyance he was not keen to have another.

"Wait here a moment" he told her, turning to Haku "don't mess up" he told her and she pouted in annoyance as he walked out into the cold night air, breathing deeply as he stood in front of the Hokage who looked more than a little pensive

"Hokage-sama" he greeted her and she twitched slightly

"Naruto-san…I-I wanted to apologise once again for my mistake" she said and he frowned

"We have already discussed this, you must have known that this act would anger me, so why did you do it?" he asked her and she looked away while gritting her teeth

"It was…a calculated risk" she told him

"But you messed up the numbers"

"Yes, myself and the council did not think…" she trailed off

"That I would be so hostile?" he asked her "you must have never heard how I was with Sarutobi then, he gave up with me quite quickly"

"I know, however I hope this has not…damaged our relationship any" she said diplomatically and Naruto looked at the ground for a moment

"Hokage-sama" he said "you and I both know that I cannot really forgive you for this, you have proved to me that you are just another Sarutobi, and I am not kind to those who treat me like he did" he said and she nodded with her head bowed "so, yes, it has damaged our relationship, as you called it" he told her firmly and she nodded

"I understand" she said as she straightened back up and turned to leave "you should know then, that the civilian council have been talking about electing you as their head representative" she told him and he nodded, he had been hearing similar rumours recently as well

"Thank you for the information, I will speak to them soon" he told her and she nodded before disappearing off into the night while he returned to the bar

"Not even afraid of the Hokage huh?" Yugito asked him and he shook his head

"Someone's got to stand up to them, otherwise they would all be like that other guy" he told her and she nodded while he allowed his mind to fill with plans for the coming days.

_**The End**_

**Sorry for the major delay in writing this, but my Muse died until recently.**

**For those of you wondering, thanks to Fanfiction suddenly enforcing its rules after ten years of silence, I have moved Dog and Fox and others to Adultfanfiction under the same name, under the same author name as well or EternalVoid**

**Aside from that I will soon be posting another idea up here soon, so please R&R that if you can.**

**Aside from that I thank you for your patience and I would also like to take a moment to answer some questions:**

**1. If you don't like this story then don't read and don't comment please, I only need constructive comments.**

**2. I screwed with the ages at the beginning to make for a better story, it is easily explained away so it shouldn't present a problem.**

**3. The relationship with Haku has been decided, **_**however**_**, it is not the main point of this story, it is not a romance novel.**

**That is all, thank you once again for reading and please do send me reviews to help me make this story better. I should be back to my usual update speed of one chapter a week, so look forward to it.**


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